Smart concept? Innovative solution? Exemplary co-operation?
With the German Datacenter Talents & Impact Awards GDA supports theses, innovations and collaborations that help to make the digital infrastructure more sustainable, efficient and future-proof.
Application deadline: 18 August 2025
Present your submission in a few concise lines. The form (in the respective category) can be completed in under five minutes.
Receive recognition
The award ceremony takes place as part of the German Datacenter Conference - winners receive industry-wide visibility.
Call for submissions
Download the call for submissionsApplications are possible until 18 August 2025
Are you interested?
Read details about the application process.
German Datacenter Talents & Impact Awards
The expanded German Datacenter Association Award
The German Datacenter Association (GDA) is expanding its prestigious awards program under a new name: German Datacenter Talents & Impact Awards.
Since 2022, the association representing the data center industry has recognized outstanding academic theses with its young talent award. Now, GDA is honoring not only young talents but also innovative projects, companies, and institutions actively shaping the future of the data center industry. The awards highlight not only exceptional achievements within the industry but also cross-sector and interdisciplinary cooperation, emphasizing synergies that sustainably connect and advance the data center industry with other sectors.
Five Award Categories Reflecting Industry Diversity
- Young Talents – Supporting young academic talent (former GDA Young Talent Award)
- Community Engagement & Social Impact – Social commitment and responsibility
- Sustainability & Green Data Center – Sustainable solutions for an environmentally friendly industry
- Collaborative Excellence & Stakeholder Engagement – Cross-sector collaborations advancing the market
- Innovation & Future Technologies – Cutting-edge technologies and pioneering ideas
Target Groups for the German Datacenter Talents & Impact Awards
The expanded awards address a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including
- students
- startups
- scale-ups
- data center operators
- planning offices
- construction companies
- technology providers
- research institutions
- public entities such as cities and municipalities
Application modalities
The exact application modalities and evaluation criteria differ in the categories, details are shown on the corresponding subpage. There you will also find a link to the application form, which - completed in just a few minutes - allows you to apply for the prize in the respective category.
The winners are selected by an independent jury.
Applications for the GDA award are free of charge. Legal recourse is excluded.
Prize
Visibility for the industry's innovative strength and sustainability efforts as well as access to a strong network are at the centre of the award: the winners present their projects to a high-calibre audience and are given the opportunity to further develop their work in GDA workshops or deep dives.
In the Young Talents category, prize money of €2,500 is also awarded - as seed capital for a future career in the data center industry.
Jury
The award winners are once again selected by an independent jury of experts headed by Prof. Dr. Peter Radgen, IER, University of Stuttgart, and Dr. Alexandra Thorer, Chief Development Officer, Business Critical Solutions (BCS)
Details about the jury members
Key facts about the GDA Young Talent Award
Are you interested?
All details can be found in the flyer.
All information in brief
Visibility for the industry's innovations and sustainability efforts as well as access to a strong network are at the center of the award: The winners will present their projects to an esteemed audience during the German Datacenter Conference evening event and receive opportunities to further develop their work in GDA workshops or deep dives.
The awarded projects will also be professionally prepared as case studies and published through GDA—providing a powerful platform for reach and credibility.
Additionally, the Young Talents category includes prize money to serve as starting capital for professional careers in the data center industry.
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