From the Glass Economy to the Aerospace Industry: GIMAV Unveils Glass4Space at glasstec 2026

glasstec 2026 has come to an end, closing with highly positive results. For GIMAV, the trade fair represented a valuable opportunity on several fronts, including the launch of new initiatives addressing one of the key priorities for its member companies: internationalization.

One example is the new Italian glassWAYS format, a global promotional journey that is, in fact, just the tip of the iceberg of an extensive network of new projects aimed at engaging at least 150 international buyers through targeted trade missions and incoming buyer programs.

As Lucia Masutti, General Director of GIMAV, pointed out, glasstec also gave the Association an opportunity to see firsthand the results of an exceptionally busy 2026.

“Our member companies exhibiting at glasstec provided very positive feedback on the work carried out to revitalize the Association and on the initiatives we have implemented,” Masutti stated. “And that is not all. We also visited and held highly interesting meetings with companies that are not currently GIMAV members but represent potential new members. These exchanges showed us that, even beyond our existing membership, GIMAV is recognized as an organization that is making a significant contribution to the industry.”

Beyond these achievements, glasstec also provided the ideal setting to unveil some of the most important developments planned for the coming year.

VITRUM 2027 is increasingly taking shape not simply as a renewed trade fair format, but as a genuine hub for innovative projects. Among these are FORMAE and an ambitious new initiative focusing on the aerospace industry: Glass4Space.

VITRUM 2027: A New Vision and the Launch of FORMAE, a Dedicated Format for Hollow Glass

During the Press Dinner held on 22 October, attention naturally turned to one of the key events of the coming year.

Several aspects of VITRUM 2027 have already been explored in previous articles, highlighting how the upcoming edition will introduce major developments, ranging from a stronger focus on the Glass Economy to the strategic industrial partnership with Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), designed to increase participation and expand exhibition space.

However, the Press Dinner also offered an exclusive preview of further developments.

While VITRUM 2027 as a whole represents an ongoing process of transformation and renewal, one of its key pillars will be FORMAE, a project created to give a distinct and recognizable identity to the entire hollow glass and packaging ecosystem.

This ambition marks another significant departure from previous editions of VITRUM.

Supported by figures from the FEVE 2025 report, which highlights European production of 73.3 billion food and beverage glass containers and an overall economic impact exceeding €140 billion across the European Union, FORMAE aims to showcase technologies focused on energy efficiency, productivity, automation and quality across key sectors such as food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and perfumery.

We will certainly explore this project in greater detail in a dedicated article in the near future.

Glass4Space: Where the Glass Economy Meets the Aerospace Industry

Among the announcements that attracted particular interest was the exclusive unveiling of an entirely new project that, quite literally, sets its sights high, looking towards one of the most technologically advanced sectors of the global economy: the aerospace industry and the space economy.

This is precisely where VITRUM aims to establish tangible connections with the Glass Economy through Glass4Space, an innovative project dedicated to exploring the strategic relationship between glass and the aerospace industry.

As Lucia Masutti explains:

“Take the window of a Boeing aircraft, for example. It is an extraordinarily complex product in its own right, isn't it? Especially when we consider that today it incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as those enabling 5G and satellite connectivity.

This level of engineering and materials research represents precisely the technological bridge connecting the advanced glass industry with the frontiers of the space economy and aerospace, where exceptional performance, safety and precision become essential requirements.”

Bringing aerospace to VITRUM means engaging with an industry in which precision and reliability are paramount, opening up new and largely unexplored opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.

Aerospace thus becomes the first major testing ground for connecting the expertise of the glass industry with advanced markets and application fields.

It is a long-term journey that we will continue to follow step by step, leading up to the defining milestone of VITRUM 2027.