Nimbus Innovation Awards at ISC 2026: Applications Open for the HPC Edition
The Nimbus Alliance has opened the application period for the Nimbus Innovation Awards – HPC Edition 2026, a prize program dedicated to companies proposing innovations for the high-performance computing ecosystem. Applications can be submitted until June 21, and the awards ceremony will take place on June 23, 2026, during ISC High Performance 2026, one of the leading international events dedicated to HPC.
This year's edition focuses on a sector in full transformation, with rapid developments in processors, accelerators, cooling, networking, storage, AI, and quantum technologies. The award categories cover the entire technological stack of HPC, from computing hardware to system software, from data platforms to power supply and energy management systems.
How to Participate and Award Categories
Exhibiting companies at ISC High Performance 2026 that have launched an HPC-related innovation in the twelve months prior can apply using the form available at this address. Participation is free. The selection, entrusted to a jury of specialized journalists from the B2B publications that make up the Nimbus Alliance, is based exclusively on technical merit, market relevance, and industrial impact.
Main Categories
- Best Innovation in Quantum Computing
- Best Innovation in Quantum Software
- Best Innovation in CPUs for HPC
- Best Innovation in GPUs for HPC
- Best Innovation in HPC Server Platforms
- Best Innovation in HPC Storage Hardware
- Best Innovation in HPC Storage Software
- Best Innovation in HPC Cooling Systems
- Best Innovation in HPC Networking
- Best Innovation in HPC Data Platforms
- Best Innovation in HPC Power Systems
- Best Innovation in AI Applied to HPC
- Best Innovation in HPC Sustainability
Special Categories
- Best Overall HPC Software Innovation
- Best Overall HPC Hardware Innovation
- HPC Innovator of the Year
The awards are presented in person at the ISC exhibition stands, a choice that brings recognition directly to where the awarded technologies are showcased to the public.
The Jury and Award Model
The jury includes Dennis Bode (HardwareLuxx Pro, Germany), Paolo Corsini and Vittorio Manti (Edge9, Italy), Frank Everaardt (Technology Insider Pro, Netherlands), and Mikel Aguirre (PRONETIC, Spain).
Regarding the program's logic, Mikel Aguirre, general manager of the Nimbus Alliance, stated: "The HPC ecosystem is rapidly advancing in computing, acceleration, cooling, networking, storage, AI, and quantum technologies. The HPC Edition 2026 aims to provide editorial recognition to innovations that truly push the industry forward, without creating a pay-to-play model."
The Nimbus Alliance brings together four European B2B websites dedicated to enterprise IT, infrastructure, and technical innovation in fields such as storage, data centers, cybersecurity, AI, cloud, networking, and HPC. ISC High Performance 2026 takes place in Hamburg from June 22 to 26, and the awards ceremony will occur on June 23.