Following his appointment as Vice President of GIMAV, Matteo Padovan has outlined a vision focused on stronger supply-chain integration, digitalisation and international growth for the Italian glass industry.
In an interview conducted by Andrea Stevanato, Padovan identified three priorities for his mandate: making the glass supply chain operate more as a unified system, accelerating the adoption of digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence, and strengthening the competitiveness of Italian companies.
He stressed that machinery manufacturers, accessory producers, software companies and glass processors should collaborate more closely. According to Padovan, customers increasingly expect integrated solutions in which machinery, materials, software and production processes work together.
Regulation is another area where he sees a stronger role for GIMAV. The association could become a technical reference point for companies dealing with increasingly complex requirements, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the European Taxonomy and the Digital Product Passport. Padovan particularly highlighted the need to provide SMEs with practical tools, training and technical discussion. 
On international markets, he identified Europe and North America as established priorities while pointing to opportunities in India, North Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where demand for advanced glass technologies is growing.
Padovan also presented an ambitious vision for Vitrum. Rather than functioning solely as a machinery and technology exhibition, he sees the event becoming a meeting point for the wider glass economy, bringing together machinery, materials, software, automation, flat glass, hollow glass, construction, automotive, energy and design.
Source: Fenzi with additional information added by Glass Balkan
