Germany’s digital future needs pioneers, and we have found them. On 6 June 2026, the eve of the 6th Data Centre Expert Summit, the eco Data Centre Award will once again shine a spotlight on groundbreaking innovations at area3 in Dreieich. In a festive setting, projects will be honoured that are actively shaping the infrastructure of tomorrow through their technological excellence and sustainability.
Independent assessment by our expert jury
The selection process was particularly demanding this year. The independent expert jury selected the finalists from a large number of high-calibre entries. Particular mention should be made of the impressive quality of content and the high level of innovation in this year’s submissions, which demonstrate that the industry is addressing the challenges of the energy transition and AI growth with creative and efficient solutions. The expert jury comprises:
- Dr. Ralph Hintemann (Partner und Senior Researcher, Borderstep Institut)
- Mareike Jacobshagen (Head of Global Business Partner Programm, DE-CIX)
- Ulrike Ostler (Editor-in-Chief, DataCenter-Insider)
- Gerd Simon (Managing Director, Simabra GmbH)
- Harald A. Summa (Executive Board Member, RIPE NCC / Honorary President, eco Association)
- Prof. Dr. Sandra Thomas (Chair, Di4 e.V.)
The 2026 Nominees
We congratulate the following companies and projects on their nomination:
Category: Most Innovative Data Centre Project (< 3.5 MW connected load)
- nLighten: A flagship project for sector coupling in the heart of the Rhine-Main region.
- synaforce: Grid-Interactive High-Availability Data Centre for Critical Applications: High-availability data centre with energy intelligence and hybrid cooling
- WestfalenWIND IT GmbH & Co. KG: Power Dynamic Compute in the windCORES
Category: Most Innovative Data Centre Project (> 3.5 MW connected load)
- noris network AG: From enterprise IT to extreme AI systems: NBG6 BA3 – Consistent modularity in data centre construction
- Penta Infra: Next-Generation AI Data Centres
- Portus Data Centres: Portus Data Centres MUC2 Expansion
Be there when the winners are announced
The nominees will present their projects to the specialist audience in five-minute presentations during the awards ceremony on 10 June, before the jury announces the winners live on stage. But the discussion does not end with the gala: on the day following the awards ceremony, during the Data Centre Expert Summit on 11 June, the groundbreaking concepts and themes of the award-winning projects will be integrated into the conference programme. Take the opportunity to explore the innovations from the previous evening in greater detail during the specialist sessions and panel discussions.
