Exploration program

Next-Generation Compute 2026

Exploration Programs are designed for corporates to gain foresight into emerging deeptech domains. Unlike Business Creation Programs, which focus on pilots and partnerships with mature startups, Exploration Programs provide first-hand exposure to early-stage technologies (TRL3+), expert insights, and peer-to-peer exchanges. Through a year-long blend of digital and physical activities, participants explore the long-term implications of deeptech for their company, industry, and society.

Next events in the Next-Generation Compute 2026:

This program is for corporate employees in long-term roles — such as CTOs, R&D leaders, and strategy executives — who need to understand how the computing landscape will evolve over the next 5–10 years and the implications for their company, industry, and society. It is also for European deeptech startups (TRL3+) working on early-stage technologies that could redefine the future of computing.

The Next Gen Compute 2026 Exploration Program will cover frontier topics such as AI ahead, quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, photonics, semiconductors, plastronics, next-generation communication (6G and beyond), and cybersecurity. As in all DTA programs, Corporate Partners will decide which areas to focus on most, ensuring maximum relevance.

Participation in the program provides first-hand opportunities to meet leading experts and makers in these domains, exchange insights with peers, and explore potential collaborations with carefully selected startups.

If you are a startup interested in this program, you can register your interest through the form.

If you represent a corporate interested in this program, please contact us via the form, or email [email protected]

If you know a startup that would fit in this program, you can nominate them here:

Nominate a Startup

Next-Generation Compute Missions and Events

The first NGC26 Mission touched down in Barcelona this March, aligning with 4YFN/MWC. Hosted by Mobile World Capital, the programme centred on Quantum Computing, uniting industry leaders and innovators to evaluate the current state of quantum tech and its potential to transform the industrial landscape.

The format combined targeted meetings with leading technology companies, startups, research institutions, and investors, alongside curated discussions and networking. This approach enabled participants to obtain a holistic perspective of the quantum ecosystem—from infrastructure and hardware to applications and investment dynamics.

What makes the Exploration Programme unique is not the size of the audience, but the depth of the dialogue. By bringing together a curated group of corporate leaders and frontier innovators, the programme enables strategic learning, trusted exchanges, and early insight into the technologies shaping the next decade.

Participating corporations included: Repsol, Moeve, IHI Corporation, A2A, and ArcelorMittal.

Our second mission pivoted toward Next Generation Communications and Cybersecurity, coinciding with the Nordic Space & Defence Summit 2026 in Stockholm. Despite the focused nature of this mission, it proved highly productive, with IHI Corporation represented throughout the proceedings.

Leveraging the summit’s high-level environment, we engaged with a hand-picked selection of innovators and thought leaders. The insights gained and the connections forged in Stockholm have provided a robust pipeline of companies and experts, setting the stage for deep-dive discussions on the future of secure communications.

Our third mission will align with the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Amsterdam this June. We are currently collaborating with our members across the Benelux region to curate a high-impact programme, ensuring the sessions are precisely tailored to the strategic needs of our partners.

The mission will focus on the convergence of Semiconductors and Photonics, while further exploring advancements in Quantum Technologies. By leveraging the unique expertise of the Benelux innovation hub, this mission aims to provide deep technical insights and foster cross-border partnerships in the hardware sectors that will underpin the next generation of computing.

The fourth mission will take place during Cambridge Tech Week from September 14–18. We are working in close collaboration with our UK member, Deeptech Labs, to define a specialised theme and a high-velocity, two-day programme tailored to the local innovation landscape.

By anchoring this mission within one of the world’s leading technology clusters, we will provide our participants with direct access to the Cambridge ecosystem’s unique blend of academic excellence and commercial scale. This mission focuses on bridging the gap between frontier research and industrial application, ensuring our partners gain a competitive edge in the evolving deep-tech sector.

The fifth mission is scheduled as a premier side-event to DTA Explore in Budapest, taking place on December 1–2. Co-hosted by Bosch Hungary and LUI, this mission will leverage the combined expertise of industry leaders and university-driven innovation to close out our 2026 programme.

By integrating this mission with DTA Explore, we offer participants a unique opportunity to engage with the thriving Central European tech scene. The programme will focus on fostering industrial partnerships and showcasing the region’s top-tier talent, providing a strategic platform for corporate partners and startups to collaborate on the future of next-generation computing.

In numbers

From our Past Programs:

Business Creation Programs

International Corporates participating

251

European startups/scaleups participating

1226

Curated match meetings startup-corporate

311

Potential collaborations startup-corporate

262

Potential collaborations corporate-corporate

What we are looking for:

AI ahead
Quantum computing

Neuromorphic computing
Photonics

Semiconductors
Plastronics

Next-gen communication (6G and beyond)
Cybersecurity

and similar innovative solutions that participating corporates express interest in.

About

About DeepTech Alliance Next-Generation Compute 2026

The Next Gen Compute 2026 program will primarily focus on helping corporate leaders in long-term roles understand the technologies that will shape computing 5–10 years from now and their implications for business, industry, and society. Participating companies can bring several representatives with the right roles and knowledge, ensuring breadth of perspectives and maximum value from the program. Carefully selected European deeptech companies (TRL3+) will also be involved, offering early insights into transformative technologies.

The program runs as a year-long blend of digital and physical activities, designed for maximum efficiency and minimal travel. Participants will engage in thematic CoDive™ sessions, roundtable discussions with subject matter experts, and Exploration Missions to leading hubs and ecosystems. The program will culminate in the Explore pre-event and Explore gathering, where corporates and startups meet again in person to exchange insights, compare experiences, and explore future opportunities.

What Corporates Get from the Program

As a corporate partner in the Next Gen Compute 2026 Exploration Program, you gain direct access to the people, companies, and insights shaping the future of computing. The program is designed around your long-term strategic priorities, defined together with the DeepTech Alliance team. The program offers:

First-hand exposure to breakthrough technologies through meetings with global experts, peers, and carefully selected early-stage startups (TRL3+)
Exploration Missions to leading hubs, ecosystems, and deeptech events, providing direct insights into emerging domains
Thematic CoDive™ sessions where a few handpicked startups present directly to corporates, enabling efficient discovery and discussion
Roundtable discussions with subject-matter experts and corporate peers to exchange insights and foresight
Participation in DTA Explore including the dedicated Exploration Track, pre-event networking, and CrowdWorks-based matchmaking

This isn’t another foresight report. It’s a hands-on exploration engine built to create better strategies, plans, and investments for the next decade.

What Startups Get from the Program

As a selected startup in the Next Gen Compute 2026 Exploration Program, you are invited to join a unique initiative designed to connect early-stage European deeptech ventures (TRL3+) with leading corporates exploring the future of computing. The program is not about acceleration or pilots — it is about insight, foresight, and relationships that can shape long-term opportunities. You receive:

Opportunities to present your technology directly to corporate leaders in long-term roles through thematic CoDive™ sessions and dedicated roundtables
Visibility at Exploration Missions and the DTA Explore summit, where corporates and ecosystem partners gather to discuss the technologies shaping the next decade
Early relationships with corporates who are defining their long-term strategies and want to understand how your technology may influence their future plans

This is a forward-looking exploration program built to give you early exposure to the corporates and peers who are shaping the next generation of computing.

Participation requirements for Startups

Registered technology company in Europe – Including EU and non-EU countries such as the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, and others.
Technology readiness – Minimum TRL 3 — early-stage deeptech companies with the ambition to engage with corporates exploring long-term strategies.
Travel & lodging – Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation related to Exploration Missions and the concluding Explore summit.

Corporate Partners already confirmed in Utility 2025