The 2026 Innovation Summit brings together standards, technology, industry, and policy leaders for forward-looking sessions on transformative technologies and the future of standardization amid rapid change.
The 2026 U.S. – Korea Standards Forum* will be co-located with the Innovation Summit on Friday, July 31.
This year’s events will be held exclusively in person to foster collaboration and deeper engagement across the community, with the exception of the U.S. – Korea Standards Forum, which will be hybrid to enable broader international participation.
Dress Code: Business Casual
12 – 2:15 PM MDT
Opens with networking lunch 12 – 1 PM
Standards are the backbone of innovation—but can the standards community keep pace with the technologies it supports? The U.S. Standards Strategy 2025 calls on the community to make standards development more efficient by embracing innovation and training the next generation—recognizing that development processes must evolve alongside the technologies they address.
In this fireside chat, ANSI president and CEO Dr. Laurie E. Locascio sits down with CEOs of leading standards developing organizations for a candid conversation about what it will take to answer that call. Together they’ll explore how flexible, iterative, and adaptive approaches can ensure standards remain relevant and effective—and how the ingenuity for which the U.S. standards system is known can drive development models that are timely, efficient, and responsive to rapid societal and technological change.
Speakers:
2:30 – 5 PM MDT
Closes with networking reception 4 – 5 PM
The U.S. standards community is pioneering new approaches to accelerate consensus-based processes while maintaining rigor. This interactive session explores how standards developing organizations and consortia are using AI, collaboration tools, agile review mechanisms, and fast-track pathways to transform standards development—particularly for rapidly evolving technologies. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for modernizing their own development processes.
Speakers:
9 AM – 3 PM MDT
A networking breakfast will be available at 8 AM MDT
Standards are critical infrastructure of the digital economy. This day explores how they can accelerate—not just govern—the adoption of AI-enabled solutions today and prepare for the quantum transition ahead.
MORNING SESSION: AI and the Digital Economy—Standards for What's Happening Now
AI has moved from chatbots to agents that can reason, plan, and act on their own—a leap in capability that also brings a new class of risks. Two panels take it on: one built around a newly approved standards project for managing the unique risks of frontier AI, and one on how standards must evolve to govern agentic systems that don’t just suggest, but act.
AFTERNOON SESSION: Quantum and the Digital Economy—Standards for What's Coming
Industry investment is already driving quantum development forward. But the standards decisions made in the next few years will shape whether that progress translates into broad, interoperable adoption or fragmented, sector-by-sector implementation. Are we developing standards in time to shape the market rather than chase it?
Reception 5:30 – 6:30 PM MDT
Dinner and ceremony 6:30 – 9 PM MDT
Join ANSI as we honor the standardization stars of 2026.
Dress Code: Cocktail Attire
This forum will explore how AI is transforming standards licensing, and the challenges SDOs face in protecting their intellectual property while adapting to new commercial realities. A three-part discussion will cover: 1) what approaches SDOs are taking to digitizing their standards and enabling AI use; 2) what companies, system integrators and enterprise users are building by incorporating digitized standards into AI-enabled platforms/products; and 3) how SDOs can protect their IP in AI licensing agreements.
ANSI Board Chair Chris Dubay will present financial information, followed by closing remarks from ANSI President and CEO Dr. Laurie E. Locascio.
Lunch will begin at 12 PM MDT. The Annual Business Meeting Presentations will begin at 12:30 PM MDT.
9:30 AM – 4 PM MDT
Now in its sixth year, the U.S. – Korea Standards Forum brings together U.S. and Korean government and industry leaders to share expertise and shape collaboration on some of today's most consequential technologies. This year’s forum features high-level dialogues and expert panels on priority areas including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, future mobility, and biotechnology.
ANSI has arranged for a room block at the Grand Hyatt Denver for July 27-31, 2026; hotel reservations can be made at a discounted rate of $279 per night. The deadline to make reservations is Monday, July 6; the availability of rooms and the discounted rate is not guaranteed after this date. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Carroll at [email protected].
Separate from the ANSI Innovation Summit, the U.S. Celebration of WSD is hosted by a committee of standardization community partners. ANSI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) co-chair the WSD planning committee, and NEMA is the administrating organization for the 2026 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day. Additional details about the 2026 WSD event are forthcoming; please visit the U.S. Celebration of WSD webpage for updates as they become available.
