New head of Geovation

27 Sep 2023 10:24 PM

Gareth Sumner aims to take innovation and collaboration to the next level

Gareth Sumner is the new head of Geovation – a community of innovators and collaborators who use location data to create solutions that address global challenges. Geovation sits at the heart of the geospatial ecosystem, connecting industry challenges with startup solutions. 

An Ordnance Survey (OS) initiative, in association with HM Land Registry, Geovation is supported by leading organisations from across the geospatial industry. It brings together location-data, geotech and proptech collaborators and is at the forefront of open innovation, funding, access to OS geospatial data, geospatial expertise and land and property information.

Gareth joins Geovation from Transport for London (TfL), where he led the growth of the Open Innovation team and built a Design Thinking function, helping TfL to work with innovators to solve some of its biggest corporate and customer challenges. He is always driven by the desire to make things better and sees immense value in innovators and corporates joining forces to solve genuine challenges, whether big or small.

New head of Geovation Gareth Sumner

I see location data as critical to solving many of the world’s challenges and making lives better – from planetary emergencies, to improving the experience of everyday life. The approach to Open Innovation that Geovation brings will be central to unlocking that potential for OS and the UK overall; it can have such a positive impact on people, planet and profit. 

Gareth Sumner, Head of Geovation

Since its launch in 2009, Geovation has supported more than 150 startups through its Accelerator programme, providing tech and data advice, business support and subject matter expertise to help power startup growth. Its ecosystem consists of over 1800 members built from experts across all industries, working on ideas that use location data to create solutions that address global challenges.

Geovation exists to power innovation and collaboration between entrepreneurs and the public and private sectors to develop new ventures capable of generating social, economic and environmental value – I’m excited to be part of that process, building on a great track record, and taking it to the next level.

Gareth Sumner, Head of Geovation

The Geovation Accelerator also provides a dedicated space to work at the Geovation Hub - and its Partner Hub network across the UK - providing members with an environment that fosters innovation and creativity with desk space, developers, geospatial data for startups​, access to events and a vibrant community.