Your application in the spotlight at the 10th vector award

Wanted: creative and unique applications with e-chain® systems

Your e-chain has to perform better than ever: higher loads, increasing speeds and complex motion sequences in addition to trends such as Industry 4.0 have raised the bar for performance. This is no place for standard solutions. Developing an energy supply that sets standards often requires creativity, perseverance and courage.

igus offers the perfect stage for this with the 2026 vector award. This year, the competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Every two years, igus honors the most extraordinary applications of e-chains made of high-performance plastic.

What you can win:

All medalists can look forward to prize money, a vector trophy and a marketing package worth $11,677 (€10,000). The in-house igus agency will publish a user report in an industry medium (DACH and international) and make a professional video of their application.

The golden vector

$5,838 (€5,000)

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The silver vector

$2,919 (€2,500) Prize

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The bronze vector

$1,168 (€1,000) Prize

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The green vector

$1,168 (€1,000) Prize

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The 2026 vector award winners

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 harbor terminals. It works with a track system on which a trolley moves, which transports the cables in rol e-chains® which roll instead of glide and are 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 harbor can be supplied directly with shore power, switch off their diesel generators and avoid emissions.

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 micrometers. Thanks to the igus components used, disruptive forces and frictional influences are minimized.

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 e-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 e-chains, which could be significantly reduced by a reverse zig-zag arrangement and ensures that the system functions perfectly even with the new requirements.

Winner of the green vector award 2026

The green vector

The green vector was won by the company Membion GmbH for the use of e-chains 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.

The highlights of the 2026 vector award

Energy chain news

The top 50 applications of the 10th vector awards 2026

This brochure offers you an overview of all the entries. Immerse yourself in the world of cable guidance and be inspired by the creativity and ingenuity that characterizes the global engineering industry.

Download the Brochure

vector awards judges

A jury consisting of experts from science, industrial trade shows, specialist media and associations will select and notify the winners.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher

Head of the Laboratory for Machine Tools RWTH Aachen University

Madeleine Mickeleit

Ing. Madeleine Mickeleit

Founder & CEO of IIoT Use Case GmbH

Olaf Katzer

Olaf Katzer

Head of Education at Autostadt GmbH

Arno Reich

Arno Reich

Head of Business Unit/Senior Vice President Trade Show & Product Management

Michael Blaß

Michael Blaß

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

Ken Fouhy

Ken Fouhy

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