In 2026, 55+ Catalyst teams are co-creating solutions to industry challenges faced by communications service providers and their technology partners. These projects will be showcased at the DTW Ignite event.
There are two sets of Catalyst Awards: the Open Innovation Catalyst Awards and the Moonshot Catalyst Awards.
The Winners and Finalists will be announced during the Innovation Awards Ceremony on 25th June at DTW Ignite 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark..
Awarded to the Moonshot Catalyst that most effectively demonstrates how AI agents can be securely trusted to operate autonomously at scale by establishing verifiable agent identity, zero‑trust controls, and secure lifecycle management across dynamic, agent‑driven environments.
Awarded to the Moonshot Catalyst that most effectively accelerates the industry toward Level 4 autonomous networks by delivering self‑optimizing, self‑healing, and zero‑touch network operations with credible, real‑world operational outcomes.
Awarded by the audience at DTW Ignite, this category recognizes the Moonshot Catalyst that receives the most votes from the attendees via the event app onsite.
Awarded to the Moonshot Catalyst that most effectively enables CSPs to collaborate with partners and ecosystems to create new customer and business value - using AI‑native platforms to go beyond connectivity alone.
Awarded to the Moonshot Catalyst that delivers the strongest performance across submission quality, online showcase, and onsite demonstration to articulate their solution.
Awarded to the Catalyst project that delivers the most transformative business impact for service providers, fundamentally changing their operations, value proposition, or market position.
Awarded to the Catalyst that delivers the most impactful transformation of a customer journey or experience through innovative changes to journeys, channels, processes, or technology that materially improve the experience.
Awarded to the Catalyst team with the most innovative and futuristic solution aimed towards bringing digital transformation to industry.
Awarded to the Catalyst that shows the most powerful use of TM Forum assets in their Catalyst project and quantifies the benefits of using these assets.
Awarded to the Catalyst project that demonstrates the most advanced use of AI & Data, GenAI, Agentic frameworks or Automation to transform telecom operations, business models, or customer engagement.
Awarded to the Catalyst project that demonstrates the best step-change towards Autonomous Networks Level 4 / zero‑touch operations with credible operational outcomes.
Awarded to the new Phase 1 Catalyst team that demonstrates the most compelling and innovative solution. For Phase 1 / new Catalysts only.
Awarded to the Catalyst that receives the most votes in the onsite voting at DTW Ignite. All Open Innovation Catalysts are automatically eligible for this award.
Awarded to the Catalyst that delivers the strongest performance across submission quality, online showcase, and onsite demonstration to articulate their solution.
Submissions for the DTW Ignite Catalyst Awards close on 22nd May, 2026.
All Catalysts complete an Awards submission form to become eligible for the awards, indicating the respective categories their teams will compete for and providing proof points.
Winners and Finalists will be announced during the Innovation Awards Ceremony on 25th June 2026 at DTW Ignite.
A panel of exceptional industry experts and executives from global member organizations will gather at DTW Ignite to review and judge the Catalyst projects. These judges bring a wealth of experience and expertise from various sectors within the telecommunications industry, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation process. They will assess each project against specific judging criteria, which include innovation, business impact, proof of concept, and scalability. This rigorous judging process is designed to recognize and reward the most groundbreaking and impactful Catalyst projects, highlighting their potential to drive significant advancements in the industry.
To ensure an unbiased judging process, we collaborate with distinguished industry experts and executives from a variety of organizations to judge the Open Innovation and Moonshot Catalyst Awards.
Afnan Ahmed
Ahmed Saady Yaamin
Alexis Koalla
Amina Boubendir
Anil Rao
Ansar Kasim
Anthony Behan
Ari Sondang Sibarani
Arunav Roy
Biraj Mohapatra
Brian Meaney
Carla Suarez Gonzalez
Chathurangi Wickramasinghe
Chris Anderson
David Hutton
David Perez
Dr. Lester Thomas
Dr. Madhad Al Jabri
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mitta
Dr. Yue Wang
Eksi Nadiasti
Elaine Haher
Eva Ulicevic
Gaetano Biancardi
Jay Naillon
João Pombinho
Kamal Maghsoudlou
Khalid Attia
Khiang Chew Goh
Krishna Iyer
Lingli Deng
Matt Anderson
Mo Zoualfaghari
Nadine Junker
Namal Jayathilake
Nassir Jama
Nilmar Seccomandi David
Ofir Daniel
Pasan Nishantha Gallage
Per Kangru
Sanjay Mewada
Sanjeev Kumar
Santhosh Plakkatt
Seshan Krishnamurti
Shane Patterson
Shreyans Mehta
Sterlina Smith
Sujatha Gopal
Tony Kalcina
