The Traveltech Innovation Hub is a university-industry partnership based at Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh, positioning Edinburgh as the UK’s central hub for travel technology innovation. We bring together industry leaders, startups, investors and academic researchers to tackle the challenges the travel sector cannot solve alone.
Travel and tourism connect people, places and cultures. How the sector develops and deploys technology matters for human flourishing, not just commercial efficiency. Edinburgh is home to Skyscanner’s global headquarters, a growing cluster of traveltech companies, and one of the world’s leading AI research ecosystems. The University of Edinburgh provides world-class research capability in artificial intelligence, data science and informatics, along with access to national supercomputing infrastructure. The city itself, with its festivals, UNESCO World Heritage site and year-round visitor economy, is a living testbed for the ideas we develop.
Partner Summit 2026
In February 2026, we brought together around 100 leaders from across the travel technology ecosystem, including major travel platforms, startups, investors, data companies and academics, for a day of structured working sessions at Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Through facilitated workshops, participants identified the research questions and industry challenges that require collective action. The Traveltech Innovation Hub’s founding research agenda is built around six priority areas:
- Agentic AI and autonomous systems – how AI agents will reshape discovery, booking and the competitive landscape
- Trust and liability – who is accountable when AI systems make decisions on behalf of travellers
- Open data standards for travel – building interoperable infrastructure, drawing on the precedent of Open Banking
- The new economics of travel – payments fragmentation, post-booking infrastructure and data monetisation
- Human-AI alignment – ensuring AI reflects diverse perspectives and supports rather than replaces human decision-making
- Climate and infrastructure resilience – building systems that can withstand disruption rather than consolidate risk
What we’re building
The Hub operates as a university-industry partnership. The biggest barriers facing the travel technology sector are coordination failures and misaligned incentives, not a lack of capability. A neutral, research-led institution is well placed to broker the collaboration the industry needs.
We work across three connected areas:
Research and innovation. Applied research projects shaped by industry need, drawing on the University of Edinburgh’s strengths in AI, data science, informatics and the social sciences. Projects are separately scoped and costed with partners.
Community. A network of over 200 traveltech organisations and a broader reach of 1,500 people across travel and technology. Our monthly traveltech meetups regularly attract over 100 attendees, and regular virtual touchpoints and sector events create the connective tissue between companies, researchers and investors.
Venture creation. The University of Edinburgh already operates venture builders and accelerators across multiple sectors. We are developing a dedicated traveltech venture builder to support early-stage companies tackling real industry problems, with challenge briefs shaped by our partners and research agenda.
Why Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the UK’s fastest-growing technology clusters. Skyscanner, one of Europe’s largest travel technology companies, has its global headquarters here. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities for computer science and artificial intelligence. Edinburgh hosts 13 major festivals each year, attracting millions of visitors and creating a complex, data-rich visitor economy. Edinburgh Futures Institute, purpose-built for cross-sector collaboration as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, provides the physical and institutional home for this work.
Get involved
Become a founding partner
We’re seeking organisations ready to help shape the Hub’s research agenda and benefit from deep, sustained collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. Founding partners gain influence over research priorities, access to talent and student projects, and a seat at the table as we build the UK’s leading traveltech innovation hub.
Contact Joshua Ryan-Saha to discussJoin the community
If you’re a traveltech company, startup or organisation working in the travel and technology space, join our growing community. We run monthly meetups, connect members with research and funding opportunities, and provide a route into the wider innovation ecosystem.
Get in touch with Maddy BurgoyneFrequently asked questions
The Traveltech Innovation Hub is a university-industry partnership at Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh. It connects travel technology companies, startups, investors and academic researchers to address shared challenges through applied research, community building and venture creation.
Founding partnerships are open to travel technology companies, travel platforms, data companies, investors and other organisations with a strategic interest in shaping the future of travel technology. Partners gain influence over research priorities, access to talent and student projects, and sustained collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.
The Hub hosts monthly traveltech meetups with over 100 regular attendees, alongside virtual events and networking. Contact Maddy Burgoyne to join the community of over 200 traveltech organisations and a broader network of 1,500 people across the travel and technology sectors.
Edinburgh is home to Skyscanner’s global headquarters and one of the UK’s fastest-growing technology clusters. The University of Edinburgh is a global leader in AI and data science. The city’s festivals, UNESCO World Heritage site and complex visitor economy provide a real-world testbed for travel technology innovation.
