Strictly Highways 2026

How Blackpool became the focal point for climate resilience, smarter maintenance and the next wave of mobility technology.

8th October 2026 - Alistair Gollop for ITS Now

The Strictly Highways Conference returned to Blackpool, ready to tackle the pressures and ambitions shaping the highways and mobility sector. The Winter Gardens once again became the focal point for local authorities, suppliers, innovators and policy specialists who gathered to explore how new developments are helping to reshape the way Britain manages, maintains and future-proofs its roads. The event has grown steadily in influence, yet this year’s programme carried a particular weight. The sector is confronting a convergence of challenges, from climate resilience to funding pressures, while also navigating a rapid acceleration in digital capability. Strictly Highways offered a space where those realities could be examined with clarity, supported by practical case studies and a strong exhibition that showcased the latest thinking from across the industry.

The conference programme reflected the breadth of issues now defining modern highways management. Policy, funding and transparency formed one of the central threads, with sessions exploring how national guidance and local priorities are evolving in response to rising expectations around accountability and performance. This theme has been building for some time, and the programme made clear that authorities are seeking more consistent frameworks to help them plan interventions, justify investment and demonstrate value to the public. The emphasis on preventative maintenance and structural renewal reinforced that point. Delegates were encouraged to consider how smarter asset management can deliver better outcomes, particularly when budgets are tight and networks are under strain. These priorities were highlighted in the published agenda for the 2026 programme, which shaped this year’s discussions and underlined the sector’s appetite for knowledge-sharing and innovation.

Climate resilience and adaptation continued to dominate conversations. Britain’s road networks are experiencing more frequent and severe weather events, and the conference offered a timely reminder that resilience is no longer a specialist concern but a mainstream operational requirement. Sessions on drainage, water management and winter resilience drew strong interest, reflecting the growing recognition that highways teams must adopt more sophisticated approaches to managing water, protecting assets and anticipating future conditions. The programme’s focus on SuDS, drainage maintenance and smarter monitoring technologies illustrated how ITS and data-driven tools are becoming essential components of climate strategy rather than optional enhancements.

Technology, data and innovation formed the backbone of the event. The sector’s digital transformation is accelerating, and Strictly Highways provided a platform for organisations to demonstrate how AI, digital twins, connected vehicle data and intelligent monitoring systems are reshaping operational practice. Exhibitors such as KaarbonTech showcased risk-based asset management tools and AI-enabled monitoring solutions designed to improve visibility between inspections and support evidence-led decision-making for flood resilience and long-term planning. These technologies are becoming increasingly important as authorities seek to move beyond reactive maintenance and adopt more predictive, data-rich approaches that reduce disruption and improve safety.

The exhibition hall offered a vivid snapshot of the sector’s current direction. More than fifty organisations presented products and services that ranged from sustainable materials to advanced digital reporting platforms. Righton Blackburns highlighted carbon-friendly traffic solutions, including passive safety posts and retention sockets for EV charging infrastructure, reflecting the growing intersection between highways management and the wider mobility transition. Symology demonstrated how its Aurora solution supports authorities in meeting compliance requirements, managing network pressures and progressing decarbonisation targets through more efficient asset management and street works coordination. These offerings illustrated how digital tools are becoming central to strategic planning, enabling teams to manage increasingly complex networks with greater confidence.

Surface treatments and materials innovation also featured prominently. EST presented a range of sustainable surface treatment solutions, including microsurfacing and GripFibre, which support improved durability and performance across road networks while helping authorities meet environmental goals. Metrail Construction demonstrated expanding resin technologies for roadbed repair and stabilisation, offering a practical response to persistent issues such as potholes and uneven slabs by addressing sub-surface voids and water displacement at source. These innovations reinforced the message that smarter materials and treatments can extend asset life and reduce long-term costs, particularly when combined with digital diagnostics and monitoring.

The exhibition also highlighted the growing importance of community-centric digital reporting. SocietyWorks showcased FixMyStreet Pro, a map-based reporting platform designed to streamline fault reporting, eliminate inefficiencies and ensure issues reach the correct authority without delay. This reflects a wider trend towards more transparent, user-friendly engagement between authorities and the public, supported by open standards and integrated workflows. TrueViewVisuals demonstrated RoadsOnline, a configurable platform that supports key operations such as TROs, TTROs and Home to School Transport, offering automation and integrated mapping to reduce administrative burden and improve efficiency.

Traffic management and temporary works solutions also played a significant role. Core Highways presented its national capabilities in temporary traffic management and barrier systems, supporting safe delivery of roadworks and major events across the country. SRL Traffic Systems showcased intelligent temporary signals and remotely operated systems designed to reduce disruption and improve safety during works, demonstrating how ITS continues to enhance even the most familiar aspects of network management. These technologies are vital as authorities seek to minimise congestion and maintain reliability during periods of construction and maintenance.

The conference atmosphere reflected a sector that is both pragmatic and ambitious. Delegates were keen to explore how collaborative approaches can drive efficiencies and improve outcomes, with discussions focusing on procurement, partnerships and shared delivery models. Workforce development also featured strongly, acknowledging the need to build skills, strengthen career pathways and support the next generation of engineers, technologists and operational staff. The programme’s emphasis on people and skills underscored the reality that digital transformation is not solely a technological challenge but a human one, requiring investment in training, leadership and organisational culture.

Strictly Highways has become a reliable barometer for the sector’s priorities, and this year’s event confirmed that the integration of ITS and mobility technologies is now central to the future of Britain’s roads. The conversations in Blackpool demonstrated that authorities and suppliers are not simply adopting new tools but rethinking how networks are managed, how data is used and how resilience is built into everyday practice. The exhibition reinforced that message, offering tangible examples of innovation that can be deployed today to improve safety, sustainability and performance.

The week’s discussions suggested that the sector is moving towards a more connected, intelligent and adaptive model of highways management. The technologies showcased in Blackpool are helping authorities make better decisions, deliver more efficient services and respond more effectively to the challenges ahead. Strictly Highways provided a timely reminder that progress in ITS and mobility is not abstract or distant. It is happening now, in practical ways that strengthen networks, support communities and shape the future of transport across the country.