Internet2 Convenes Research and Higher Education Community for 2026 Technology Exchange

Leading Annual Technical Event Addresses AI, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Modernization, Quantum Technologies, and Workforce Pipeline Challenges

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet2 today announced the program for the 2026 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX26), Oct. 26-30 in Minneapolis, Minn. Technology professionals in research and higher education (R&E) will convene to explore shared solutions and infrastructure across advanced networking, cloud technology, identity and access management, and information security.

"At a time of significant transformation, the passionate problem-solvers who convene at the Internet2 Technology Exchange are turning ideas into practical advances for research and higher education," said Tripti Sinha, Internet2 president and CEO. "Internet2 provides the technology foundation and a unique forum for collective progress, where people share openly, test what's possible, and build on each other's work."

Real Technical Depth, Community-Driven Solutions
This year's program, selected by a committee of R&E technologists, reflects the pressures they face today: operationalizing AI, modernizing cloud and legacy infrastructure, securing networks and identities, preparing for quantum technologies, and supporting workforce transitions. Together, the conversations at TechEX26 spark new ideas and support seamless collaboration across organizational boundaries and around the world.

Sessions, tutorials, and working meetings focus on implementation and practical insights. It's an immersive exchange where participants share what works and what doesn't to advance R&E technology.

Four Tracks, Two Unconferences, Five Days to Sharpen Technical Skills
TechEX26 brings together four areas of technical expertise:

• Advanced Networking: Network automation, AI-capable operations, performance, routing security, IPv6, and precision timing
• Cloud Technology: AI-ready infrastructure, multicloud strategy, research computing, data-intensive workloads, and cloud management
• Identity and Access Management: Federation, passwordless authentication, identity assurance, and IAM modernization
• Information Security: AI-driven defense, AI-enabled attacks, software supply chain security, IoT governance, cybersecurity operations, and post-quantum cryptography

Two unconferences add a highly interactive dimension to the program. Advance CAMP for IAM and Peer-to-Peer for Advanced Networking let participants build the agenda in real time around current questions, challenges, and emerging issues.

The program includes speakers from more than 70 unique organizations across higher education, research facilities, government, industry, and regional and global R&E networks.

A Forum for Research and Higher Education Insights
TechEX26 is uniquely tailored to the R&E landscape. It brings together network engineers, cloud architects, IAM administrators, cybersecurity analysts, research computing and data professionals, CIOs, and other technology leaders and practitioners.

TechEX26 is made possible through the generous support of industry organizations that collaborate closely with R&E, including platinum sponsors Cisco-Splunk-Duo, HPE Networking, and Microsoft; gold sponsors Ciena, Lumen, and Persona Identities, Inc.; silver sponsors Four Points Technology, Kentik Technologies, Nokia, Radware, Rubrik, XKL, and Zadara; supporting sponsors Arista Networks, Burwood Group, Inc., CertKit, Cloudticity, ConfidentialMind, Forewarned, Inc., PIER Group, and REAP; and sponsors from the InCommon Catalysts Program, Cirrus Identity, Globus, Instrumental Identity, Moran Technology, Omnibond, RDCT, and Unicon.

Register for TechEX26 and explore the program.

About Internet2
Internet2^® is a nonprofit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation's leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 serves 352 U.S. universities, 57 government agencies, 46 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 80,000 community anchor institutions, over 1,000 InCommon participants, 61 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network operators that represent more than 100 countries.

Internet2 delivers a diverse portfolio of technology solutions that leverages, integrates, and amplifies the strengths of its members and helps support their educational, research, and community service missions. Internet2's core infrastructure components include the nation's largest and fastest research and education network that was built to deliver advanced, customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework. For more information: https://internet2.edu 

SOURCE Internet2