“It’s good to work with friends”

06/13/2025 | Print view

Mann im Anzug hält eine Karte und steht vor einem farbenfrohen, abstrakten Hintergrund. - © Matthias Rehberger / GW — © Matthias Rehberger / GW

At the Glass Performance Days 2025 in Tampere, it became clear that innovation requires partnership. Miika Äppelqvist, Glaston’s new CEO, welcomed 500 international guests with a clear statement: “It’s good to work with friends.”

He emphasized that major progress can only be achieved together. Listening, changing perspectives and acting together are the key to sustainable solutions. A particular focus was placed on the conscious use of resources and the reuse of waste glass.

At the Nokia Arena, 130 presentations were given on the theme of “Glass – The In/Visible Impact.” The message: Glass is everywhere – often invisible, but with an enormous impact on sustainability, energy efficiency, and quality of life.

A central topic was ultra-thin glass and its possibilities.

Against this backdrop, Corning, HEGLA and Glaston presented a new process for manufacturing triple insulating glass with a 0.5 mm thin center pane. Precise control, TPS technology and automated processes make it possible to efficiently process the fragile glass in the manufacture of thin triple IG units.

The advantages: better insulation, less weight, easy retrofitting in existing buildings and lower transport costs.

The process is mature—three major insulating glass manufacturers in Europe are already using it, and three more producers in the United States are following suit.

According to several visitors, this development is a game changer for insulating glass manufacturers.

At the Step Change Program, start-ups such as AeroShield, eLstar and Miru presented new technologies for smart, sustainable glass solutions. Lars Wismer (glasstec) and Jens Mayr (Glaston) emphasized: “Step Change is more than a program—it's an attitude.”

GPD 2025 showed once again that the glass industry is ready for change – united, courageous and open to new ideas. Or, as Miika Äppelqvist aptly put it in his interview with GW-News: “It's good to work with friends.”

Matthias Rehberger