The global glass industry, valued at US$1.3 billion (RM4.18 billion), is expected to maintain a healthy growth rate as a result of continuous investments in the construction sector by developing countries.
Singapore Glass Association (SGA) chairman Gan Chee Siong said the future of the glass industry is robust and bright as demand is expected to reach new heights in 2014.
“Robust demand from China and India spurs this forward, whereby China consumes about 40% of the world’s flat glass production,” Gan said at the Glasstech Asia 2013 conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He said the conference demonstrated the role of glass as critical material and a sustainable, eco-friendly material.
“The conference will demonstrate the role of glass as a critical material for texture, design and position; the increasing significance of glass as a sustainable and eco-friendly material; and the continued survival and growth of the glass industry.”
Malaysia Glass Association chairman Ho Sai Woo said the local glass industry in Malaysia is divided into upstream (manufacturing) and downstream (processing).
“The downstream industry has created more than 10,000 jobs with an annual turnover of RM2 billion, while the upstream hires about 1,200 workers with a turnover of RM400 million yearly,” he said, adding that the industry has invested over RM500 million in total in manufacturing facilities.
Ho said the local glass industry needs to be explored widely so that untouched segments can be commercialised to meet the rising demand.
The conference was officially launched by Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. In her opening remarks, she said the conference is an eye opener for the locals, the meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE) industry and tourism industry.
“While food, service and hospitality industries clearly benefit from a thriving MICE industry, other auxiliary contractors and service providers such as transport operators, freight forwarders and retail establishments also benefit immensely.
“What is even greater, however, and often goes unnoticed is the impact that MICE and business tourism have in uplifting the country’s image internat ional ly, enhancing knowledge transfer and boosting international trade,” Dr Ng said.
Apart from being a platform that provides regional players with a deeper insight into the glass manufacturing, processing, products and material sectors, the conference also acts as a channel for industry players across the globe to tap into the growing South-East Asian market.
SGA is the co-organiser for the confer ence ent it le d “Glasstech Asia 2013 — Asean’s leading sourcing platform for glass products and technologies".
