Data Center World, one of the industry’s leading gatherings for digital infrastructure professionals, has announced the winners of its 2026 awards program, recognizing standout leadership, operational excellence, and breakthrough technologies shaping the future of data centers worldwide.
The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Joe Kava, honoring a career that has helped redefine large-scale data center design, operations, sustainability, and infrastructure growth. The award recognizes long-term impact, mentorship, and a sustained commitment to innovation across the sector.
Joseph Gingrich, Data Center Engineer at GDIT, received the 2026 Data Center Manager of the Year Award for exceptional leadership and measurable performance in mission-critical environments. Finalists included David Ashworth of Prime Data Centers, James Black and Anand Mohammed of Cologix, Inc., and Alv Skjellet of Green Mountain AS.
The annual Innovation Challenge, powered by ABB, also spotlighted startups delivering new solutions across critical infrastructure categories. Winners included Assetcool for Grid and Power, AlumaPower for Power Inside the Data Center, Hayzel for Cooling & Thermal Breakthrough, Edgecom Energy for Build & Operations, and Latent AI for Networking & IT.
Two companies were recognized as Most Promising Startup: XL Batteries and Spiritus.
Looking ahead, Data Center World’s next scheduled events include Dallas from September 21–23 and Vienna from October 13–14. The flagship 2027 edition is set for May 24–27 at Music City Center in Nashville.