Founded in 1935 in Turkey, Şişecam is one of the largest glass manufacturers in Europe and is recognized as a global player across all areas of the glass industry – from automotive glass and glassware to glass packaging, recycling and energy. A WDO Member since 2022, Şişecam has a demonstrated legacy of leveraging design-led innovation and collaboration towards a more sustainable future.
A significant part of this legacy is the Şişecam Glass Symposium, which was launched in 1985 in an effort to better serve the glass industry at large. In the 37 years since the event’s establishment, it has grown and evolved into an international event that now attracts hundreds of distinguished participants across industry and academia from around the world.
“Glass contains a huge diversity of uses and richness that directly serve United Nations’ sustainable development goals. With its limitless potential, glass has a great story. We are the ones who will tell this story and even add new chapters to it. As Sisecam we are proud to present this conference as a platform to bring the industry together,” stated Sisecam Chairman and Executive Member of the Board Dr. Ahmet Kirman.
As one of Europe’s premier glass science and technology platforms, the Symposium has been organized simultaneously with the International Commission on Glass (ICG) on three occasions. In 2019, the event welcomed over 500 participants from 26 countries, before reverting to an online format in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Last year, the 37th Şişecam International Glass Conference was held in a hybrid format, welcoming some 705 participants from 39 countries spanning five continents.
2023 marks the 38th edition of the Şişecam Glass Symposium, and this year the event will explore the theme of Collaborate to Innovate: For a Sustainable Future. The hybrid event, endorsed by WDO, will take place online and in-person in Istanbul from 2-3 November 2023 and will bring together stakeholders from the global glass industry to explore the potential of glass in creating a more sustainable future.
This year’s programme will highlight speakers from around the world, who will share leading insights around the challenges and opportunities facing the global glass industry – from emerging technology, to research and development to manufacturing and distribution.
In addition to a presentation from WDO President David Kusuma and WDO Board Member Sertac Ersayin, symposium speakers include: Dr. Miles Barr, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Ubiquitous Energy (USA); Rianne Koens, Circular Design Consultant at Otura Design (Netherlands); Gürhan Dural, Chief Project Officer at 7Cbasalia Global (Turkey), AnneJans Faber, Research Fellow on behalf of Glass Futures (UK) and Prof. Dr. Daniel R. Neuville, Senior Research Director at the Paris Institute of Earth Physics (France).
Topics to be explored over the course of the 2-day programme will range from materials, renewable energy, industry decarbonization, circular design and data-driven processes. A full list of speakers and their presentation topics is available at glassconference.sisecam.com/en/speakers.
Registration for the 38th Şişecam Glass Symposium is currently underway. The event is free and open to all those working in the field of glass and who are interested in attending. To learn more about how to reserve your spot, please visit glassconference.sisecam.com