London, UK - From babies in space to potholes prevented by pencil tips, ads on your fridge and bird-like navigation in ships, Nesta has again launched its Future Signals - the annual series that reveals what to watch for in 2026. 

Now in its 14th year, Nesta's Future Signals analyses the ‘signals’ – movements, technologies and social changes that carry significant, if uncertain, implications for the future – that might shape our everyday lives in the next year and beyond. Previous examples include sleep inequalities in 2022, robot chefs in 2023, virtual hospital wards in 2024 and ‘leavesdropping’ on plant conversations in 2025.

But where could 2026 take us? On the 2026 Signals, Laurie Smith, Head of Mission Discovery at Nesta said: “If 2026 is anything like last year, it will be full of developments – both mundane and extraordinary – that could make a profound change to our everyday lives and lead to new ways of thinking. From potholes prevented by pencil tips to crowd-sourced bus routes, what we know about the future has the potential to change the approaches of people, governments and businesses today, both in the UK and globally.”

Much like a cinematic lens, Nesta’s Signals bring the future into focus, using storytelling and visual imagination to help us see how emerging technologies, innovations, gadgets and social and scientific trends might reshape our world. This year’s Future Signals are being showcased through the lens of the world of film in an interactive and virtual cinema and in-person event hosted by BBC Editor Zoe Kleinman. 

New innovations and horizons

Risky Bus-iness: What if we can ‘demand’ new bus routes? Shanghai's 2025 "customised" (DZ) bus system allows passengers to propose new routes online. If a route meets a minimum demand, it is approved and operational within days. As Britain embarks on a new 10-year public infrastructure strategy, could  digital technologies and agile service design let citizens shape the once-rigid public services around them? 

Don’t Look Up: What will a passport look like for someone born in space? Billionaires and space agencies continue to talk about humans potentially settling on Mars. The prospect of living for sustained periods beyond earth raises a series of existential, practical and ethical questions, especially as we consider the prospect of babies being born off-grid. The resolution of these issues will determine whether space is merely a new tourist destination or somewhere that our grandchildren might actually call home.

Final Destination: More than 5% of flights experienced GPS issues in 2024, while over 10,000 ships reported GPS interference in the second quarter of 2025. We rely on GPS in our phones, computers, cars and planes to navigate, but it can easily be disrupted. Quantum navigation—mirroring the internal compass found in migratory birds—uses Earth’s gravity and magnetic fields to provide a 'disruption-proof' way to travel. Unlike GPS, it is resilient against solar storms, debris, and intentional interference from bad actors. These technologies are far from ready for your smart phone: they are large, expensive and power-hungry. But they are not beyond reach. 

New gadgets and focuses

Total Re-cool: The advertising industry is now placing billboards right in the centre of our once-private sanctuaries: the home. In late 2025, Samsung announced that it will start showing adverts on some of its new fridge models. There are some benefits; reduced food waste and lower costs on grocery bills, but it also raises urgent questions around privacy, data protection, psychological influence and the role of regulation in safeguarding domestic spaces from continual commercial messaging. 

The Sand Heist: Sand is the second most-consumed resource and our built environment relies on it. But its predicted scarcity by 2050 is fuelling organised crime including a £100 million operation uncovered in Mount Merapi National Park, Indonesia. Protecting this critical global resource requires a dual approach of better governance and innovation to ensure future cities are built on solid ground. Will we find a way or is the hourglass running out?

Groundhog Day: Britain’s roads are deteriorating faster than they can be patched, with backlogs hitting a record  £16.3 billion. Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is said to be the thinnest and strongest substance ever recorded. Once stacked together it forms graphite, a substance commonly used for pencil tips. But it can also strengthen asphalt, extending road surface lifespan by up to 70% and improving resistance to cracking and moisture damage, while demonstrating resilience to seasonal changes. The year has seen a wave of road maintenance innovations from self healing asphalts to robotic repair units. Will an accidental sticky-tape discovery be the one to patch up our roads?

New developments 

All the President's AIs: In September 2025, the Albanian government appointed the world’s first AI minister, Diella, to its cabinet. Described by the Prime Minister as a ‘not physically present but virtual entity’, Diella’s portfolio is to manage and award all public tenders involving government contracts with private companies, with the objective of eliminating all corruption. Is Diella an isolated case, or part of a wider trend of AI moving into executive positions?

The Glass Union: AI might soon know us better than anyone else. In 2025, tech boss Sam Altman enabled ChatGPT to remember past conversations for users in many regions across the globe. Can data unions help us to manage, protect, and exercise rights over our personal information to make sure that we are protected or can benefit – financially and personally – from our data being mined by big corporations? 

Ends

Notes to editors

1. For more information or to speak to one of the experts involved, please contact Bryony Ravate, Media Officer, on +447576838085 or [email protected].
2. Full write ups and images are available upon request. Spokespeople are available for broadcast interviews. Images should be credited to Mark Frudd. 
3. Nesta’s Future Signals 2026 will form part of an online photo gallery themed around the world of film. 
4. BBC’s Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman will host an in-person and film-themed event for the Future Signals on 29 January.

About Signals

Future Signals is Nesta’s annual series about the trends and developments that are set to shape the coming year. Previous Signals include screen time for kids, sleep inequalities and rights for nature in 2022. In 2023, we discussed robochefs, green neighbours and changes to family life. In 2024, virtual wards, space based solar power and safeguarding our cognitive liberty were discussed. The latest in the series, 2025, saw purified lunar water, badly behaved robots and metascience on the menu. Future Signals was previously called Predictions, and first ran in 2011.

About Nesta

Nesta is a research and innovation foundation that designs, tests and scales solutions for the biggest challenges of our time.

Driven by a vision to improve the lives of millions of people, our focus up to 2030 is on three missions: breaking the link between family background and life chances, halving obesity and cutting household carbon emissions.

We work with partners to develop high-potential solutions and test them as they evolve, drawing on expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, data science, behavioural science and design.

Once confident in the effectiveness of a solution, we take it to scale. We create national policy proposals, develop consumer-facing products and services, build and spin out commercial ventures and harness the power of the arts.

We work with two specialised units: BIT applies a deep understanding of human behaviour to help clients achieve their goals. Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to spark innovation in science, technology and society. Find out more at nesta.org.uk