The Year Ahead
What to look out for from ASC in 2026
What to look out for from ASC in 2026
By Rebecca Cole and Tim Macer, ASC Co-chairs
2026 marks the start of a wide-ranging programme of ASC initiatives that we have been developing throughout 2025. We’re delighted to begin sharing these with you through the first of them: the launch issue of our new quarterly newsletter, Data Points.
The purpose of Data Points is to keep you informed not only on ASC’s events and activities but also to share relevant news and fresh thinking from across our sector.
Data Points
Data Points sits at the heart of ASC’s role as an open forum for building knowledge in the world of research, insight, technology and data, a role that is also reflected in our second, parallel initiative.
ASC Viewpoints
We’re about to launch ASC Viewpoints: a dedicated area on our website featuring articles on great ideas, fresh insights and practical advice across a wide range of topics within our specialist area. True to ASC’s values, these pieces won’t be self-promotional, but will reflect the same honest “tell it as it is” approach you expect from our conferences, without being tied to the theme of a particular conference or event.
We’ve brought together a small panel of writers from our community, with articles set to appear throughout 2026. If you’d like to be part of this writer’s group, or have an article to contribute, Katie O’Connor, who is leading the group. will be pleased to hear from you.
ASC Hall of Fame
ASC is equally about bringing recognition to our sector and celebrating outstanding achievement. Alongside our long-established ASC/MRS annual technology award for excellence in technological innovation, we are excited to introduce a new person-centred Accolade: the ASC Hall of Fame.
An independent panel of judges will induct individuals they believe have made exceptional contributions to our sector, with the first inductees set to be announced in May. We are delighted that IPSOS has agreed to sponsor the Hall of Fame.
Emeritus Membership
We’re also introducing a special recognition for those that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes within ASC, whose contributions have shaped ASC into what it is today. Our new Emeritus Membership will pay tribute to their amazing but often unseen dedication without which the ASC would not exist. The first group of Emeritus Members will be announced in February.
ASC Events
Our one-day conference series will bring you two events this year: one on 21 May and another in mid-November, both held at the Oval. And if you haven’t yet experienced one, we highly recommend signing up for one of our free, informal ASC Labs coffee mornings online – a friendly space to share opinions, or get stuck into technical discussion.
This year, our mission is to engage more deeply with our community. We want to make sure we are relevant to new members of our professional community and to warmly welcome them into our activities. We are always happy to hear from anyone who wants to get more involved in ASC and are open to your ideas.
A special thank you goes to our sponsors, who are among our most dedicated supporters, and whose involvement we greatly value. But our gratitude extends to you as well, our members and subscribers, for your engagement and support. We look forward to connecting with you even more during 2026.
If you have suggestions for news or anything you would see in future issues of DataPoints, please send your ideas to datapoints@asc.org.uk
If you are interested in writing articles or joining our contributors groups please email viewpoints@asc.org.uk