Global flat glass giant AGC Inc. joins Glass Futures

AGC produces many products that play an essential role in maintaining the global environment and supporting society.

AGC Inc. is one of the world leaders in flat glass, producing, processing and distributing glass for the building and automotive industries, solar and high-tech sectors, as well as electronics, chemicals, life science, ceramics, and other products.

Glass has a positive impact on people and the planet. As a truly sustainable material, it is at the heart of sustainable architecture, and AGC has stated a commitment to being at the forefront in developing new glass products with better environmental performance.

To achieve CO2-neutral glass production by 2050, all parts of the value chain need to be taken into consideration. The international glass producer became members of Glass Futures to collaborate with its membership network across the entire glass supply chain toward a sustainable future.

Glass Futures is a not-for-profit research and technology organisation with a Global Centre of Excellence facility in St Helens, part of the Liverpool City Region, which allows the glass and foundation industries to trial and demonstrate disruptive technologies and generate ideas that will support industry to decarbonise and become more sustainable, faster.

Dave Fordham, Global Engagement Lead at Glass Futures said: "We were pleased to welcome members of AGC's innovation team from Japan and Belgium to our pilot facility where we're currently installing an industrial scale 30 tonnes per day pilot furnace to explore the technical foundations for achieving carbon neutral glass melting. We're delighted the global glass giant has joined our growing network of members to help the industry achieve its sustainability goals."

Dr Terutaka Maehara, Leader of the Hot Process team at the AGC Innovative Technology Laboratories in Yokohama, Japan said: "AGC's glass business encompasses a wide range of products, including flat glass, display glass, and specialty glass, with manufacturing sites located around the world. Therefore, the requirements for achieving carbon neutrality vary depending on each business segment and each production site, necessitating the development and focus on various technologies. We believe that joining Glass Futures will be meaningful for this purpose."

AGC join fellow glassmaking members of Glass Futures including Ardagh, Arc, Bormioli Pharma, Corning, Encirc (founder member), Guardian (founder member), Knauf, NSG Pilkington, O-I (founder member), Stoelzle and Verallia, as well as leading brands such as Diageo, Heineken, Siemens (founder member) and Velux, plus many more technology suppliers, associations, academia and leading users of glass (visit the website for a full list of members). Further leading glassmakers will be announced as members shortly.

Pictured: Dr Terutaka Maehara (centre) of AGC with Glass Futures' Dave Fordham, Rob Ireson, Steve Cook and Aston Fuller.