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Your application in the spotlight at the 10th vector award

We were looking for: Creative & unique applications with e-chain systems

Your energy chain has to perform better than ever before: higher payloads, increasing speeds, complex motion sequences and trends such as Industry 4.0. Not a job for standard solutions. Your creativity, perseverance and courage are often required to develop an energy supply system that sets standards.

igus provides the perfect stage for this with the vector award 2026. The competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! Every two years, it honours the most exceptional applications of energy chains made of high-performance plastic. Discover the four winning applications here!

And here we go: 11th vector award 2028

Soon we will open the doors and you can apply for the next round of the vector award! Present your project to the global public and expand your network. You can also win prize money of up to 5,000 euros!

Everything about the 10th vector award

    What you could win

    All winners can look forward to prize money, a vector trophy and a marketing package worth €10,000. The in-house igus agency will produce a user report in an industry medium (DACH + international) and professional video material on their application.

    The gold vector

    Prize money of €5,000

    example

    The silver vector

    Prize money of €2,500

    example

    The bronze vector

    Prize money of €1,000

    example

    The green vector

    Prize money of €1,000

    example

    The expert jury

    The winners are selected and informed by a jury of experts from science, industry trade shows, trade media and associations.

    Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher

    Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher

    Head of Machine Tools(WZL) and Production Engineering RWTH Aachen

    Madeleine Mickeleit

    Ing. Madeleine Mickeleit

    Founder and CEO of IIoT Use Case GmbH

    Olaf Katzer

    Olaf Katzer

    Autostadt GmbH Head of Education

    Arno Reich

    Business Unit Manager / Senior Vice President Trade Show & Product Management

    Michael Blaß

    Michael Blaß

    CEO e-chain systems® igus® SE & Co. KG

    Ken Fouhy

    Ken Fouhy

    Editor-in-chief of VDI nachrichten and patron of the vector award

    The winners of 2026

    Winner of the golden vector award 2026

    The gold vector

    The terminal operator Cruise Port Rotterdam won the golden vector award for the use of the igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO), a mobile shore power system for harbour terminals. It works with a track system on which a trolley moves, which transports the cables in roller rol e-chains made of high-performance plastic. They move in covered guide troughs in the floor of the quay. Thanks to this system, cruise ships in the harbour can be supplied directly with shore power, switch off their diesel generators and avoid emissions.

    Find out more about the winner of the golden vector
    Winner of the silver vector award 2026

    The silver vector

    Jenaer Antriebstechnik GmbH wins the silver vector award for the use of cleanroom-compatible flat cables of the e-skin flat series in combination with chainflex cables for energy and data guidance. This is used in pick & place solutions that place components in a positioning range of 0.1µm. Their systems achieve accelerations of up to 100m/s2 with a repeat accuracy of ±0.1 micrometres. Thanks to the igus components used, disruptive forces and frictional influences are minimised.

    Find out more about the winner of the silver vector
    Winner of the bronze vector award 2026

    The bronze vector

    The bronze vector was won by the Royal Ballet & Opera in London for the use of the zig-zag energy chain system for the energy and data guidance of the lighting trusses in the theatre. After 25 years of successful use of this system, the lighting was converted to LED technology. This resulted in new requirements such as weight and load on the structure. One challenge was the pendulum deflection of the energy chains, which could be significantly reduced by a reverse zig-zag arrangement and ensures that the system functions perfectly even with the new requirements.

    Find out more about the winner of the bronze vector
    Winner of the green vector award 2026

    The green vector

    The green vector was won by the company Membion GmbH for the use of energy chain and chainflex cables in the production line for the manufacture of membrane bioreactors, which even filter bacteria and microplastics. This enables sewage treatment plants to filter their water in accordance with increasingly stringent requirements and ensure the right water quality. In the production of these membrane bioreactors, the chain and cable must function in a confined space with small bend radii. igus products are the solution here.

    Find out more about the winner of the green vector

    The highlights of the vector award 2026

    Energy chain news

    The top 50 applications of the 10th vector awards 2026

    This brochure offers you an entertaining overview of all the entries, concisely presented in words and pictures. Immerse yourself in the world of cable guidance. And be inspired by the creativity and ingenuity that characterises the global engineering industry.

    Go to brochure

    vector catalogue 2026

    Consulting

    I look forward to answering your questions

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