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glass outside the UK, especially when compared to countries like China.” Instead of competing only on price, Pilkington UK focuses on technology, product development, and manufacturing expertise.“ We may not always be able to compete in commodity markets, and that’ s where innovation becomes essential.”
Focusing on adaptation connects Pilkington UK’ s heritage with its future. The float-glass process changed the industry decades ago. Today, investments in coatings, recycling, lower-carbon products, and hydrogen aim to create new advantages for customers.
After more than three decades with the business, Neil sees reinvention as fundamental to Pilkington UK’ s future.“ We’ ve made significant investments in textured glass and our additional offline wet-chemistry process. We need to use those advantages to create new products, new services, and new opportunities for customers.”
Over the next five years, Pilkington UK will focus on extracting value from these investments while advancing manufacturing and product development.“ We’ re on the right trajectory. We’ ve got to keep moving forward with innovation.”
The long-term opportunity goes beyond glass itself and into the role the material can play in a lower-carbon economy.“ I’ d love to see a future where solar panels are made in the UK, and Pilkington UK supplies the glass from St Helens using hydrogen and recycled cullet. That wouldn’ t just create a low-carbon product- it would help generate low-carbon energy. That would be quite an achievement,” Neil concludes. ■
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