Making glass better

Glass will remain as a bedrock of a modern, sustainable, low-carbon society. The International Commission on Glass wishes to promote development and to ensure that the necessary support framework is in place. To do this it has promoted the construction of a road-map that anticipates the challenges that the glass community will face. Key players have been the various technical committees run by the ICG together with the Chair of Innovation and Technology Management/University of Kassel (in the context of a research project granted by the German Research Society). Together aspects of glass melting, advanced materials, functional coatings and key scientific principles have been studied in particular depth. The methodology adopted has been focused workshops and questionnaires with a 25 year perspective. The road mapping process however does not stop here. Continuous revision will be required as our knowledge base expands and as new pressures arise.