ANS Sprint: Sustain-AI-Ability

Unlocking more profound societal, environmental and productivity value from AI, but not at any cost. AI has immense potential, but it must be used ethically, sustainably and with clear purpose. As adoption grows, organisations must balance innovation with responsibility.

Sprint Tent: 7
Exhibition Stand: 33
Meet ANS experts, explore real-world AI applications, and join collaborative sessions designed to solve meaningful challenges.

This sprint explores:

• When AI should be used and when it should not
• How to minimise the environmental and societal impact of AI
• What drives successful and responsible AI adoption
• Where AI can deliver the most meaningful value

Together, we’ll develop a sustainable accelerator framework for responsible AI, identifying practical opportunities where AI can help build a better world.

About the event:

Innovation Festival 2026 brings together organisations, academia and industry leaders to tackle real-world societal and environmental challenges through innovation and collaboration. Hosted at Newcastle Racecourse, the festival blends creative thinking with hands-on problem solving—turning ideas into tangible outcomes through immersive sprint experiences.

Why visit ANS:

As a Neon sponsor, ANS will be at the heart of the festival, helping shape conversations around the future of AI and innovation. We have special guest Alex James, best known as the bass player from the band Blur, who will be speaking at our sprint at 2:30pm Tuesday.

Join us at Innovation Festival 2026

Secure your place at the festival and be part of the conversation shaping the future of responsible AI or learn more about it here : AI readiness with ANS.
👉 Step 1: Register for the festival
👉 Step 2: Sign up for the ANS sprint once registered

Sprint Speakers

Elliot Leighton-Woodruff

Enterprise Architect at ANS

With over a decade of experience, Elliot helps organisations simplify and get real value from technology. From cloud-first startups to regulated enterprises, he specialises in making Azure work harder through automation, practical AI, and reliable, scalable solutions. Passionate about cutting through complexity, he focuses on delivering outcomes that are both impactful and easy to manage.

Simon Blewitt

Chief Technology Officer at Makutu (ANS)

Simon Blewitt is a highly experienced CTO/Principal consultant with 28 years experience in large enterprises across sectors such as banking, public sector, retail, wholesale and media corporations. Simon has an MSc Big Data Analytics and certified in Cloud Machine Learning technologies and will talk data all day long.

Lucie Rolls

Lucie Rolls Business Development Manager at Makutu (ANS)

Lucie Rolls is an experienced commercial professional with 30+ Years expertise in selling, product and building strong strategic relationships. Proactive, adaptable and agile, with a focus on engagement and strong customer experience.

Alex James

Best know for being the bass player in Blur

Alex James is an English musician, best known as the bassist of iconic Britpop band Blur. As a key part of the group’s success, he helped shape the sound of 1990s British music, contributing to hit albums like Parklife and The Great Escape. Beyond music, he’s also a writer and broadcaster, known for his work across food, farming and culture.