It is with enormous pride that we introduce the inaugural cohort of the Scientific Computing World 75 – 75 exceptional individuals who are redefining what is possible at the intersection of computing and research.
Launching a new recognition programme is no small undertaking, and the response has surpassed all our expectations. From the first call for nominations, it became clear that the scientific computing community had been waiting for precisely this kind of dedicated spotlight – one focused not on institutional prestige, but on the people actively in the ‘trenches’, deploying transformative technology to push research forward.
The 2026 list honours leaders across three distinct disciplines: High Performance Computing, Computational Engineering & Simulation and Laboratory Informatics & Data Management.
What unites them is a shared conviction that the right computing infrastructure, thoughtfully implemented, can accelerate research timelines and turn ever-growing volumes of data into genuine discovery.
So how did we arrive at our final 75? We asked ourselves a consistent set of questions for every nomination received: Is this person driving or facilitating strategic computing decisions at a research level? Are there concrete projects, deployments, or outcomes that have advanced their organisation’s research goals? And is scientific computing genuinely at the heart of that work?
Those criteria helped us identify individuals who are not simply adopting new tools, but championing them – making the case internally, navigating budget constraints, mentoring colleagues and delivering results that matter to science.
The SCW75 broadly recognises individuals across three categories:
High Performance Computing – directors, managers, and R&D IT leaders in universities, national laboratories and commercial research organisations who are championing HPC adoption and expansion, whether cloud-based, on-premise or hybrid.
Computational Engineering & Simulation – engineering directors, simulation team leads and research computing managers advancing research through simulation technologies, from CFD and structural analysis to climate modelling and molecular simulation.
Laboratory Informatics & Data Management – informatics directors, data science leads and research IT managers building the data infrastructure that powers modern research through LIMS, ELNs, data lakes and analytics platforms.
As this community takes shape, we are committed to offering its members meaningful opportunities to connect, collaborate and be heard. Being named to the SCW75 comes with a featured profile on Scientific Computing World’s website, www.scientific-computing.com, recognition across our social media channels and partner networks, an official digital badge and exclusive invitations to expert panel discussions and virtual roundtables. As the programme matures, we expect those opportunities to expand further – into conference speaking slots, site visits and elite in-person networking.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination. The quality and breadth of entries made the selection process genuinely difficult.
Congratulations to the SCW75 class of 2026. This community is only just beginning.
Robert Roe,
Editor,
Scientific Computing World
