CGI is proud to support this year’s TechNExt Festival, taking place across the North East from 15–19 June 2026.

TechNExt celebrates the region’s thriving technology sector, bringing together thousands of attendees over five days to showcase the people, businesses and innovations shaping the future of tech in the North East.

As part of the festival, CGI is sponsoring the Tech for Good Hub, taking place at The Village, North Tyneside, on Tuesday 16 June 2026. The Hub will bring together technologists, VCSE organisations and public sector representatives to explore how technology can create positive social and environmental impact, from digital inclusion and accessibility to sustainability and community innovation.

Accessibility by design: using location intelligence to create smarter homes and infrastructure

Technology alone does not create better places. People must be able to access, use and benefit from the services, infrastructure and opportunities around them.

This session explores why accessibility should be at the heart of decision-making across housing, planning and infrastructure. It examines how organisations can use location intelligence and geospatial insight to understand who can access services, where barriers exist and how investment can deliver the greatest impact.

A man and woman smiling at their child who is holding the keys to their home

Attendees will learn how connected, trusted and accessible data can support more inclusive outcomes, helping organisations move beyond measuring assets delivered to understanding whether people can truly benefit from them.

Key topics include:

  • Why accessibility is a critical measure of success for housing, infrastructure and public services
  • How location intelligence helps identify barriers, gaps in provision and opportunities for improvement
  • Shifting the focus from ‘what data do we have?’ to ‘who can actually use what we provide?’
  • The role of trusted, connected and interoperable data in supporting inclusive, outcome-led decisions
  • A practical framework for embedding accessibility into planning and investment decisions from the outset
  • How organisations can prioritise investment based on real-world impact for people and communities

Session format

Following the speaker-led presentation, our panel will explore how these principles can be applied in practice. Speakers will discuss how organisations can use data, technology and place-based insight to improve accessibility, strengthen community outcomes and support more effective delivery across housing, planning and infrastructure.

The discussion will focus on practical examples, lessons learned and the challenges of embedding accessibility into decision-making at every stage.

Speakers

Pascal Coulon
Vice-President Consulting Expert – Geospatial, CGI

Pascal Coulon is a Vice-President Consulting Expert focused on the geospatial industry. He has more than 20 years’ experience in international consultancies and a background in IT applied to geosciences. Pascal has designed, implemented and integrated enterprise solutions for public and private sector clients, and is passionate about the role of location data and services in solving complex challenges.

Marc Russell
Vice President Consulting Services, CGI

Marc Russell works with clients across the North East to deliver digital transformation and technology-enabled outcomes. Marc will join the session to share CGI perspectives on how technology, data and inclusive innovation can support better outcomes for communities, organisations and the environment.

Join us at TechNExt Festival

Join CGI at the Tech for Good Hub to explore how accessibility, data and location intelligence can help create places that work better for people and communities.

We look forward to sharing how organisations can use trusted data, practical insight and collaboration to make more informed decisions, improve access to services, and deliver better outcomes across housing, infrastructure and the built environment.

Register to attend