Corning Incorporated has become a member of Glass Futures, the Global Centre of Excellence for glass in research and development, innovation, and training.
Corning has joined Glass Futures to support the organisation in its efforts to decarbonise the glass manufacturing industry.
The company joins Glass Futures at an opportune time, with the organisation set to move into its new £54m Global Centre of Excellence in March.
Glass Futures will use this glass melting facility to transform current manufacturing processes through trials to help decarbonise the global glass and ceramic industries.
Richard Katz, Glass Futures’ Chief Executive, said: “It’s through this membership, and by connecting global industry with academia and our ability to pilot new solutions at scale, that we can disrupt production methods and innovate low-carbon processes in carbon heavy industries worldwide.
“Corning understands the need to integrate sustainability into the innovation process with new products and is increasingly focused on reducing embodied carbon while continuing to invest in emerging technologies. We hope our research into natural gas replacement and biofuels will support them, and our wider membership, to use low-carbon fuel options.”
In recent years, Corning has accelerated its sustainability activity, including an increased focus on renewable energy, reducing waste, and designing and manufacturing products with sustainable attributes in partnership with its stakeholders.
Dr Dawne Moffatt-Fairbanks, Director of Thermal and Materials Engineering at Corning, said: “Corning’s in-depth knowledge of glass science and materials processing will deepen Glass Futures’ existing expertise and enhance its ability to pilot low-carbon glass solutions that could be vital to our future.
“In addition, the organisation’s knowledge base will support Corning’s own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Glass Futures is planning to open its Centre of Excellence this summer and is working to fire the first open-access 30-tonne per day experimental furnace, leveraging sustainable fuel sources, in early 2024.
