THE AWARD
CATEGORIES
CANDIDATES
IMPRESSIONS
CONTACT
VALVE STARS AWARDS 2026
The Valve Stars Awards, which premiered in 2022, recognize product innovations in the industry and are presented by the trade journal IAD in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf.
In 2026, exhibitors at Valve World Expo will once again be able to compete for the coveted awards in the four categories of “Valves,” “Actuators,” “Sealing Technology,” and “Automation.”
All candidates and applicants will be presented online and in issue 4/2026 of our trade journal “IAD - Industriearmaturen & Dichtungstechnik” with a short profile.
Voting will take place online by public vote. The award ceremony will take place at the VALVE WORLD EXPO in Düsseldorf.
Application period: December 2, 2025 - October 30, 2026
Voting period: September 1, 2026 - November 13, 2026
The categories
Valves
Valves are mostly used to shut off or regulate the flow of a fluid in a pipeline. These valves include butterfly valves, gate valves, and ball valves. For regulation purposes, these are valves in a wide variety of shapes and with different operating principles. However, this category also includes all other types of fittings, such as safety or special valves.
Actuators
Actuators are used in a wide range of valves, gate valves, and butterfly valves. Depending on the type of auxiliary energy, a distinction can be made between electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic actuators and combinations thereof. The control section is directly related to this topic and includes positioners and other accessories for actuators, such as apps or monitoring software.
Seals
Seals are used in all industries. They are often dismissed as C-parts, even though their use has a significant impact on the safety of many processes. Due to the wide range of applications, there are numerous materials and shapes used in sealing technology: O-rings, graphite seals, flat seals, metal seals, lamellar seals, etc.
Automation
The “Automation” category covers Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, and similar solutions. Whether it's smart valves or smart sealing, the main thing is that digitalization is at the forefront. The focus is particularly on applications that make processes noticeably more efficient. Projects that set new standards in networked production through innovative data and analysis strategies are also highlighted.
The candidates
Contact
Editorial team & moderation
Michael Heeg
Editor-in-chief, IAD
+49 201 82002-67
m.heeg@vulkan-verlag.de
Marketing
André Lehmann
Media Sales Manager
+49 201 82002-25
a.lehmann@vulkan-verlag.de
Concept
Simon Meyer
Head of Business Unit
+49 201 82002-32
s.meyer@vulkan-verlag.de
