The European Rising Stars – Women & Youth in Cooling Video Competition has entered its final judging phase, highlighting young talent and women in Europe’s refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector.
The competition is organised by AREA in cooperation with World Refrigeration Day. Now in its fourth edition, it focuses on technical excellence, diversity and the next generation of professionals across Europe’s cooling sector.
Seven finalists from France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia and the United Kingdom have been selected in two categories: Youth Best Practice for participants under 25, and Women in Cooling Excellence. Their submissions cover real-world cooling work involving safe, efficient and reliable systems.
An international panel is evaluating the finalists. The panel includes the AREA Board of Directors, the AREA Working Group Human Capital and Task Force Skills, AREA representatives within the International Network for Women in Cooling, and the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat.
The competition covers practical skills including installation and commissioning, leak testing and refrigerant recovery, brazing and troubleshooting, energy efficiency best practices, and RACHP system design and innovation. Participants can present their work in their native language, with automatic subtitle translation tools used to support accessibility.
Winners will be announced at the AREA General Assembly Dinner in Madrid on 21 May 2026. “The European Rising Stars competition has grown far beyond a contest. It is a platform that brings visibility to the outstanding work carried out every day by women and young professionals in our sector. These participants are not only highly skilled—they are role models and ambassadors for best practice, safety, and energy efficiency across Europe,” said Marco Buoni, Past President of AREA with responsibility for International Affairs.