Bürkert wins Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Award 2025

From left: Michael Hartte, Product Manager, Fabian Mittnacht, Systems Engineer, Josua Printz, Corporate Development, and CTO Stefan Müller (all four at Bürkert) during the ceremonial certificate presentation by Dr. Andre Baumann, State Secretary at the Ministry for Environment, Climate, and Energy of the State of Baden-Württemberg. (Photo: bmf Armin Burkhardt)

The valve diagnostics solution ValveInsight from Bürkert Fluid Control Systems was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Prize 2025 in the category "Measurement, Control, and Automation Technology, Digitalization, Industry 4.0". The solution helps companies make their processes more sustainable and efficient. The award ceremony took place on November 11, 2025, at the Schwabenlandhalle in Stuttgart-Fellbach.

With ValveInsight, the fluidics specialist Bürkert offers a solution that significantly enhances the sustainability of production processes. With conventional valves, it is often not possible to directly determine whether a valve has actually switched or not. Additional sensors would be needed for this, which are costly and complex to integrate. This is where ValveInsight comes into play: a specially developed algorithm analyzes the current flowing when the valves are switched on. This provides, among other things, information about whether the valve has switched as planned. This is made possible by the "Whisper Valves" series of solenoid valves, with the patented electrodynamic drive. Therefore, no additional sensor is necessary; the valve itself reports if something is no longer functioning properly.

This digital process monitoring saves material, energy, and time. Errors in the process are detected early before they lead to scrap or resource waste. Additionally, the technology is open and can be easily integrated into existing systems. Companies only need one of Bürkert's Whisper Valves and can integrate the algorithm at no cost, without needing to purchase additional components.

Daniel Schmidt from Bürkert's Innovation Management is pleased that the jury of the Environmental Technology Prize was convinced by this. He emphasizes: "The award of the Environmental Technology Prize confirms our strategic orientation and our innovation approach. With ValveInsight, we are not only contributing to digital transformation but also demonstrating that sustainable technologies are at the core of Bürkert's actions."

The Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Prize

The Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Prize has been awarded every two years since 2009 by the Ministry for Environment, Climate, and Energy Management and is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of sustainable innovations. It recognizes particularly advanced products and processes that make a significant contribution to resource efficiency and environmental protection. The prize is aimed at companies based or with a branch in Baden-Württemberg, whose solutions are either close to market launch or have been on the market for no more than two years. The focus is on the environmental technical performance of individual products. The award is given in four categories: energy efficiency, material efficiency and resource conservation, circular economy and environmental load prevention, as well as digitalization, AI, measurement, control, and automation technology.