COMSOL, an independently owned, global leader in modeling and simulation software, announced that it has launched the COMSOL Innovation Contest, which will be held at the COMSOL Conference 2026 Boston, happening October 7–9. During the conference, six finalists will have the opportunity to give a 10-minute presentation showcasing their simulation projects on the main stage of the event — with the winner being awarded a $50,000 grand prize, as voted on by a panel of judges. A second-place prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of the attendee-chosen Best Presentation by Popular Vote award.
"The goal of the COMSOL Innovation Contest is to spotlight the work that our users are doing, that is, how they're using COMSOL Multiphysics to create impact in their own research and product development," said Oscar Littmarck, VP of marketing for COMSOL. "We hope the winning innovations inspire other researchers and engineers."
Individuals and teams are invited to submit their work in one of six categories: (1) aerospace and defense, (2) energy, (3) life sciences and medical technologies, (4) manufacturing and process engineering, (5) semiconductors and consumer electronics, and (6) automotive, transportation, and mobility. One individual or team from each of the six categories will be selected as a finalist.
In addition to the COMSOL Innovation Contest, attendees have two additional opportunities to share their work. They can submit an abstract for the chance to:
- Present a poster in the conference exhibition hall
- Have their paper published in the online conference proceedings
Conference attendees will vote for one winner of the Best Poster by Popular Vote award, and the COMSOL Conference program committee will select one winner of the Best Paper award. The poster and paper showcase opportunities are available to those who do not wish to apply for the contest, as well as to those who apply but are not selected as a finalist.
Application Submission
Applications for the COMSOL Innovation Contest are now open. Each submission must include a 500-word abstract and a brief video (three minutes or less) highlighting the simulation work, along with 1–4 images of the models used.
The deadline to apply for the COMSOL Innovation Contest*, as well as for the poster and paper opportunities, is June 5. Those who apply by May 8 and receive approval to showcase their work will qualify for the discounted-registration Early Bird Presenter Rate.
