The ACTUATOR Conference 2026 - may we inform you ...
ACTUATOR is a major biennial event bringing together leading experts, suppliers and users in the field of new actuators and low-power electromagnetic drives from all over the world. The invitation to attend ACTUATOR is aimed at executives and researchers from industrial companies as well as institutes, colleges and universities who are interested in the transfer of R&D results into innovative actuator applications and drive technologies.
ACTUATOR 2026 - together with you on an international stage
With about 300 participants from more than 20 countries, the International Conference on New Actuator Systems and Applications has been the most important place to meet leading international specialists, to share their expertise and to start business co-operations in the field of new actuator technologies.
ACTUATOR - the key forum for actuators
based on smart materials and micro technologies as well as their applications in all areas of engineering for thirty years now. Over the years, a huge variety of excellent ideas and results have been reported. A lot of them have been raised from vision to mass product. Among the success stories you will find quite a number of established applications of new actuators, in particular their well-known use in fuel injection, adaptive shock absorbers, nanopositioning, precision engineering like camera lenses and other applications of miniaturized drives.
New product generations
In this way, ACTUATOR has launched the realization of new product generations with outstanding compactness and high performance properties which so far have not been achieved in conventional technologies. A small wonder that based on this ignition, resulting in gaining access to new markets.
The Exhibition
The Exhibition on New Actuator Systems and Applications will present components, system approaches and applications of smart actuators and low-power electromagnetic drives based on conventional (electromagnetic) and innovative working principles (new actuators), and associated subjects. The range of topics also includes measurement techniques, control concepts and circuits, driver components and units, system integration, layout and simulation tools etc.
ACTUATOR 2026 Conference Committee
Target Audience
ACTUATOR 2026 , International Conference and Exhibition on New Actuators and Drive System is the 20th in a series of biennial conferences which will be held for the second time in Wiesbaden, Germany.
In 2022, Rosengarten Mannheim passed on the organisation of the ACTUATOR Conference to the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies. Within VDE, the GMM Society for Microelectronics, Microsystems and Precision Engineering will from that date on be responsible for the organization and the economic success of the conference. According to GMM’s business practice, the conference management will be in the hands of our members on voluntary basis.
Our target audience
leading experts, suppliers and users in the field of new actuators and low-power electromagnetic drives from all over the world. The invitation to attend ACTUATOR is directed at executives and researchers from industrial companies as well as institutes, colleges and universities, who are interested in the transfer of R&D results into innovative actuator applications and drive technologies.
Since 1992 the conference has focused on
- actuators based on smart materials and miniaturised electromagnetic drives.
- At that time, silicon was found to be the basic material for a new promising trend: integrated systems including sensors and actuators based on semiconductor technology. Microsystem technology / MEMS had been born.
- Thus, there was a need for new thin film micro actuators based on smart materials like e. g. piezoelectric crystals, shape memory alloys, giant magnetostrictive materials.
ACTUATOR provides ...
- a forum for the presentation and the exchange of RTD results. Lots of new products have been presented in the meantime, showing a huge performance in a minimum volume, designed for industrial as well as home applications.
- Well-known examples are the autofocus lenses for cameras as well as the fuel injection systems, both based on piezo actuators.
- Karl Lubitz of SIEMENS AG summed up the role of ACTUATOR in this concern concisely:
“ACTUATOR creates visions! Without the visions presented at previous ACTUATOR we would not have been able to manage the development of this product”.
Conference Topics
Technological Topics
- Electromagnetic actuators
- Piezoelectric actuators / piezoelectric motors
- Thermal / magnetic shape memory actuators
- Magnetostrictive actuators
- Magnetoelectric actuators
- Micro / nano actuators
- Actuators based on ER / MR fluids
- Polymer actuators
- Electroactive polymer devices
- Cooperative / multistable actuators
- Emerging principles / tensegrity / robogami
- Actuator control and electronics
- Pneumatics / hydraulics
- Photonic actuators
- Bio actuators
- AI-based actuator design
Application-oriented Topics
- Active vibration / active noise control
- Aerospace / aviation
- Automation
- Robotics / micro robotics / soft robotics
- Automotive
- Haptic / tactile devices
- Medical devices / medical engineering
- Microfluidic handling
- Micro / nano manipulation and positioning
- Microscopy / scanning probe microscopy
- Information technology
- Manufacturing / micro assembly
- Process engineering
- Biotechnology
- Optics / laser
- Precision engineering
- AI-supported actuator applications
Committee Members
Committee Members 2026
We appreciate the support of the following experts:
Steering Committee Members
Kohl, Manfred | Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany
Maas, Jürgen | Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
Pané i Vidal, Salvador | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
Vander Poorten, Emmanuel | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
Wallrabe, Ulrike | University of Freiburg, Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK, Germany
Yamanishi, Yoko | Kyushu University, Japan
Program Committee Members
Biedermann, Miriam | Bürkert Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
Chikhaoui, M. Taha | Université Grenobles-Alpes, France
Choi, Seung-Bok | The State University of New York, Korea (SUNY Korea), Incheon, South Korea
Claeyssen, Frank | CEDRAT Technologies S.A., Meylan, France
Goldasz, Janusz | BWI Beijing West Industries Technical Center Kraków, Poland
Jager, Edwin | Linköping University, Sweden
Kanda, Takefumi | Okayama University, Japan
Kohl, Manfred | Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany
Krippner, Peter | Bürkert Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
Lötters, Joost | Bronkhorst High-Tech B.V., Ruurlo, Netherlands
Maas, Jürgen | Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
Manfredi, Luigi | University of Dundee, Great Britain
Marienfeld, Peter | Contitech Vibration Control GmbH, Hannover, Germany
Merlo, Sabina | University of Pavia, Italy
Milana, Edoardo | University of Freiburg, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK)
Monner, Hans Peter | German Aerospace Center (DLR), Braunschweig, Germany
Morishima, Keisuke | Osaka University, Yamadaoka, Japan
Morita, Takeshi | The University of Tokyo, Japan
Müller, Bert | University of Basel, Switzerland
Nienhaus, Matthias | Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, Germany
Pagounis, Emmanouel | ETO MAGNETIC GmbH, Stockach, Germany
Pott, Peter | University of Stuttgart, Germany
Preumont, André | Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Price, Aaron | The University of Western Ontario, Canada
Renaud, Pierre | Institut National des Sciences Appliquées Strasbourg INSA,
Strasbourg, France
Schubert, Franz | PI Ceramic GmbH, Lederhose, Germany
Seelecke, Stefan | Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, Germany
Spomer, Waldemar | Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
Takasaki, Masaya | Saitama University, Japan
Uchino, Kenji | The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Ugurlu, Barkan | Ozyegin University, Çekmeköy - Istanbul, Turkey
Vander Poorten, Emmanuel | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
Vergani, Giorgio | SAES Getters S.p.A., Lainate, Italy
Vorrath, Markus | Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Wallrabe, Ulrike | University of Freiburg, Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK, Germany
Wapler, Matthias | Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
Exhibition
The exhibition is the communicative core of the conference.
Manufacturers and service providers present future and praxis oriented applications and products.
DFG Priority Program KOMMMA
A special session is devoted to the Priority Program SPP 2206 of the German Science Foundation (DFG) 'KOMMMA'.
Within 2019-2025, KOMMMA addresses the understanding and use of the complex coupling and synergy effects in cooperative multistage multistable microactuator systems.
Venue
Kurhaus Wiesbaden
Kurhausplatz 1
65189 Wiesbaden, Germany
Accommodation
In the download section you will find a map with suggestions for your accommodation and sightseeing options in Wiesbaden.
Please remember to make your hotel reservations in good time.
You can either book directly with the hotel or use the booking links in the download section.
Our recommendations for your accommodation in Wiesbaden:
Dorint Pallas Wiesbaden (pls. book directly with the hotel)
Oranien Hotel & Residences
Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock (pls. book directly with the hotel)
Best Western Hotel Wiesbaden
History
Contact
Please contact GMM-Office for questions concerning the conference.
You would like to be informed about the next steps concerning this conference? So please register as prospective customer.
