2022 IS THE UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF GLASS
The inaugural event will take place at the United Nations Office in Geneva and Dino Zandonella Necca, of Surfaces Group, will give one of the opening speeches.
The United Nations’ recognition of 2022 as the International Year of Glass (IYOG) is an acknowledgement of the importance of glass due to its unique characteristics as a safe, healthy, eco-friendly and easily recyclable material, which make it essential for addressing the current challenges of the ecological transition towards a more sustainable and human-friendly society.
The inauguration ceremony will take place on 10 and 11 February at the United Nations Office in Geneva. We at Surfaces Group are proud to announce that Dino Zandonella Necca will give one of the opening speeches.
Anyone familiar with the Glass Machinery world is bound to remember Dino Zandonella Necca’s remarkable contribution to the establishment of the Glass Community, the umbrella organisation that played a key role in this international recognition.
Mr. Zandonella, beyond your entrepreneurial and institutional role as promoter of the ‘umbrella organisation’, do you feel proud of, and in a certain sense involved in, the UN’s decision to designate 2022 as the International Year of Glass?
“I would like to stress that the prestigious result of the IYOG International Year of Glass is also due to these meetings we held, which were the result of an idea that we – including myself – had following the 2009 crisis. We realised that we had to work as a team, opening up to different perspectives and neighbouring structures.
It is fundamental to work together in order to overcome the challenges of limited financial and human resources, especially for local associations in the various countries, which face similar problems, are often poorly structured and have to deal with complex procedures and regulations.
Meeting in Murano with many glass associations, which then approached institutions in their countries, helped to raise awareness of the IYOG within the higher echelons of the UN.”
Do you expect policies supporting the production and use of more eco-friendly materials, such as glass, to be proposed or explored by national and European institutions after this UN initiative?
“I believe that the International Year of Glass is an exceptional result. Glass is a fantastic material: it has one of the highest recycling rates, which reduces its environmental impact, and the new types of coatings that insulate glass used in architecture also offer efficient results for building insulation.
Glass also has incredible mechanical properties thanks to new technologies. It is also important for the automotive and digital sectors, not to mention the importance of hollow glass for the pharmaceutical and food industries.
I am confident that IYOG is an excellent opportunity to spread knowledge in schools as well as for business, since it is an important material for our future.
I think the cultural aspect is crucial. We as a community need to encourage people to opt for glass. We must increase everyone’s awareness.”
How important is it for entrepreneurs, through their representative bodies, to work together in order to continue supporting the use of glass?
“The important work within trade associations allows us to overcome the individualism of Italian entrepreneurship, which combines genius with a lack of inclination to collaborate and produces a remarkable proliferation of SMEs not found in other countries.
Each of these companies is exceptional, but the fact that they are separate entities limits their ability to significantly grow and play a fundamental role in the sector.
The limitation of the Italian glass mechanics industry is that we are world leaders but are not recognised as such, despite the fact that our exports amount to €1.4 billion and are a feather in the cap of our economy.
I have to say that thanks to our valuable work as an association, the mentality is starting to change and people are beginning, partly driven by the crisis, to work cooperatively. The collaborations with the Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro (Experimental Glass Station) and with Promovetro, the Murano craftsmen’s association, have been particularly significant.”
You are part of Surfaces Group, which is constantly on the rise and, in addition to meeting market challenges, aims to lead the way with its innovations, including in the area of glass processing tools. In 2021, the group’s Glass B.U. was strengthened by the entry of the historic Vincent brand, which joins ADI and RBM Italia.
“Our Surfaces Group is the emblem of this virtuous policy; by uniting the various brands we have had a significant impact on our business. We need to overcome individualism in order to develop increasingly important projects. Coming together is a necessity and indeed synergies have an extraordinary knock-on effect.
Our brands all have unique characteristics that are recognised by the market. RBM for polishing wheels; ADI has grown significantly in the area of grinding wheels for vertical machines for large manufactured goods; Vincent has come up with very impressive solutions for the automotive sector.”
Are new eco-friendly application solutions being studied or applications currently in the catalogue being further developed?
“Vincent in particular has developed a new type of grinding wheel for the automotive sector, which enables a reduction in waste and in the cost of the wheel itself, thanks to its smaller body. The non-consumable part of the grinding wheel has been significantly reduced, with a much larger hole, almost a crown. The manufacturer is then supplied with an adapter for the machine to accommodate the wider ring. When it wears out, only the grinding wheel is discarded and the ring is recycled. This has a significant impact on weight-related transport costs, production costs and disposal costs, especially in the automotive sector where production rates are high.”
To what extent has this change of perspective been necessary due to market demands and stresses?
Are there differences between the various markets?
“It is still rare for companies in our industry to do in-depth cost reviews based on TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), even in structured companies.
However, the companies that improve, grow and gain market share are those that also consider TCO. There must be cooperation between the purchasing department and the user.
Often a higher-quality tool ensures optimised management, maintenance and downtime.
Certain markets are more receptive to TCO, such as the US, Northern Europe and Germany.
However, things are changing and there is a different perception towards quality, technology and performance, not least because of the significant impact of storage and logistics costs.”
New Year’s resolutions. In this year dedicated to glass, apart from the new products that your group will soon be promoting, what solutions are being examined in the longer term?
“We consider it fundamentally important to synergise the different technologies by interfacing the products of Vincent, RBM and ADI in order to offer complete solutions that are useful for customers and complex for competitors. We are increasingly seeking a partnership that provides customers with a comprehensive project, a system. This rewards us on the market and protects us. Customers will always be more interested in the solution than in the price, not least because of the impact on the overall process, with long-term cost savings.”
At the association level, what are the most significant upcoming events?
“GLASS WEEK will be held in Milan in mid-September with the collaboration of MISE and ICE Agenzia, coinciding with another industry event, Glass Week in Venice, which showcases artisan production, thereby creating an ideal bridge between these two glass production centres. Combining Venice with Milan may prove to be a winning strategy. In addition to production, it will also encompass social and cultural aspects.
It is an opportunity for the whole Italian economy, also involving the hospitality industry.”
Finally, what emotions will you feel at this prestigious celebratory event, which will take place in Geneva on 11 and 12 February with the opening conference?
“It’s incredible for me to be able to participate in such a prestigious ceremony and I’m sure there will be a lot of emotion about my speech – I’m realising this as the time comes closer. But I am very proud of it because we at Vitrum, more than any other organisation, through the Community of Glass Associations, launched and promoted this idea.”
