Leading valve associations from Europe, the USA, and Japan have agreed to work more closely together to jointly master the future challenges facing the valve industry. The International Valves and Taps Alliance were founded on December 10. The alliance covers the entire value chain of the industry and includes both building and industrial valves as well as valve actuators.
The aim of the initiative 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. In addition, coordinated lobbying of international regulatory authorities is planned to better cope with technological, regulatory, and environmental requirements in the various markets.
Focus on strengthening competitiveness
Against the backdrop of growing global challenges for the valve industry, the need for more intensive international exchange is becoming particularly 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 becoming more important than ever. We need a strong international vision and dialogue between all relevant players," explains Axel Weidner, Chairman of the Valve Manufacturers Association and shareholder of 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.”
Fittings associations from Europe, Asia, and North America in attendance
“Together with our international partners, we want to raise awareness of the importance of the valve industry,” emphasizes Dr. Laura Dorfer, Managing Director of the German Valve Manufacturers' Association. “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 Armaturen, 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), 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.
