Jensen Huang Receives imec Lifetime of Innovation Award 2026

Imec has named Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, as the recipient of the 2026 imec Lifetime of Innovation Award. The award recognizes his role in shaping modern computing through accelerated computing and artificial intelligence, driven by the development of the graphics processing unit.

The award ceremony will take place on May 19, 2026, during the ITF World conference in Antwerp, Belgium, where a video interview with Huang will also be presented.

From GPU Innovation to AI Infrastructure

Jensen Huang founded NVIDIA in 1993 and has led the company ever since. A defining milestone came in 1999 with the introduction of the programmable GPU, which not only transformed computer graphics but also laid the foundation for parallel computing.

Today, GPUs are at the core of modern AI systems. They power applications ranging from data centers and robotics to autonomous vehicles and industrial automation. What began as a technology for gaming has evolved into a central building block of digital infrastructure.

Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec, highlights this shift: “The significance of the programmable GPU’s invention cannot be overstated. What started as a specialized processor has become foundational to accelerated computing and AI, transforming entire industries.”

Recognizing Impact Across Industries

The imec Lifetime of Innovation Award is presented annually to individuals whose work has had a lasting and transformative impact on technology. According to imec, Huang’s contribution goes far beyond one company or product.

Under his leadership, NVIDIA has helped redefine how computing systems are built and used. GPU-based architectures have enabled breakthroughs in machine learning, simulation, and data processing, accelerating innovation across sectors including healthcare, mobility, manufacturing, and research.

Jensen Huang describes the recognition as a shared achievement: “It has been a privilege to do my life’s work alongside the extraordinary colleagues at NVIDIA. This recognition reflects the contributions of a global community of engineers, scientists, and innovators who continue to push the boundaries of computing.”

A Milestone in a Broader Technology Shift

Imec positions the award within a larger transformation of the semiconductor industry. As AI workloads continue to grow, traditional scaling approaches are no longer sufficient on their own. The focus is shifting toward system-level optimization, where hardware, software, and architecture are developed together.

In this context, companies like NVIDIA play a key role as system-level innovators, connecting chip design, computing platforms, and real-world applications.

Imec emphasizes that future progress in AI will depend on close collaboration between research institutions, semiconductor manufacturers, and system companies.

ITF World 2026 as Industry Platform

The award will be presented during ITF World 2026, imec’s flagship conference for the semiconductor and deep-tech ecosystem. The event brings together industry leaders, researchers, and innovators to discuss the future of computing, with a focus this year on scalable and sustainable AI.

With Jensen Huang as this year’s award recipient, imec highlights a central theme: the evolution of computing is no longer driven by isolated breakthroughs, but by continuous collaboration across the entire technology stack.

The recognition reflects both a milestone in one career and a broader shift in how innovation in computing is created and scaled.