The UK Screen Investment Summit 2026 Programme

This session will explore what the UK must do to maintain and strengthen its position as a global leader in screen production at a time of rapid industry change. It will consider the UK’s next phase of growth, moving beyond established production clusters towards a more fully integrated and globally competitive screen economy. The discussion will also reflect on how international competition has evolved since the “streamer wars” era, and what this means for the UK’s long-term strategic positioning.

The panel will examine how the UK can remain competitive as technological capability increasingly becomes a more significant differentiator than physical infrastructure alone. It will also explore the balance between attracting inward investment and strengthening domestic intellectual property creation and retention. The session will define what “scaling success” now means in practice, moving beyond the volume of production activity to a more holistic view of value, resilience and sustainable growth across the sector.

This session will explore how financing models for UK content are evolving in a more selective, post-streamer-boom environment, and what this means for capital, risk and long-term sustainability in the sector. It will examine the changing balance between public support, private equity and international investment, alongside shifting risk appetite within commissioning and production.

The discussion will also consider the growing importance of ownership and IP retention in driving long-term value creation, as well as emerging financing models across independent production and the creator economy. It will explore how co-production opportunities can be better leveraged to support shared risk-taking and unlock new sources of investment for UK content.