Leading valve associations from Europe, the US, and Japan are committed to closer cooperation in order to jointly master future challenges facing the valve industry.
Effective December 10, leading valve associations from Europe, the USA, and Japan have launched the International Valves and Taps Alliance. The alliance covers the entire value chain of the industry and includes both building and industrial valves as well as valve actuators.
Pooling experience, strengthening common positions
The aim of the alliance is to pool international experience and develop common positions that will be represented with a unified voice to politicians and the public in the future. There are also plans to coordinate the representation of interests vis-à-vis international regulatory authorities. This should enable technological, regulatory, and environmental requirements in the various markets to be better managed.
Strengthening competitiveness in focus
Against the backdrop of growing global challenges for the valve industry, the need for greater international exchange is becoming clear. “The valve industry is excellently positioned for key future issues such as clean drinking water, energy transition, hydrogen, and the circular economy. At the same time, our industry is undergoing a period of profound change that poses major challenges for valve manufacturers worldwide. Exchange and joint action are therefore more important than ever. We need a strong international vision and dialogue between all relevant players,” explains Axel Weidner, Chairman of VDMA Valves and partner at Mankenberg GmbH. “The initiative marks a step toward structured, globally coordinated cooperation between leading industry associations. By cooperating across national borders, we are strengthening our competitiveness and underlining the relevance of high-quality valve technology.”
More weight in the political discussion
“Together with our international partners, we want to raise awareness of the important valve industry,” emphasizes Dr. Laura Dorfer, Managing Director of VDMA Valves. “This will give our industry’s concerns more weight in the political debate and help the industry position itself for long-term sustainability.”
The initiative stems from an international association exchange at the general meeting of the Italian valve association AVR, which took place in Milan at the end of October. There, the participating organizations laid the foundation for the agreement. In addition to VDMA Valves, the following associations have already signed the joint declaration of intent for closer exchange: AGRIVAL and FLUIDEX (Spain), AVR (Italy), BVAA and CIPHE (United Kingdom), EVOLIS (France), FLUIDEX (Spain), IAMPO and VMA (USA), JVMA (Japan), POMSAD (Turkey), SAI (Sweden), SPAP (Poland) and URS (Switzerland). The alliance is open to other international associations in the valve industry – a strong signal for global cooperation and shared perspectives.
