Willy Borsus, Minister-President of Wallonia, visits AGC's Technovation Center

Willy Borsus, Minister-President of Wallonia, paid visit to the AGC Technovation Centre (ATC), the R&D centre of AGC Glass Europe, on the morning of 19 December. He was welcomed by Jean-François Heris, President of AGC's Building & Industrial Glass Company, and was then given a guided tour by the site manager Marc Foguenne who outlined the potential offered by flat glass and the latest advances made possible by the work being carried out at ATC. "Currently more than 50% of our research projects are aimed at developing sustainable products, solutions and processes," explained Marc Foguenne. He then went on to present the latest achievements, including vacuum-coated glass with insulating power equivalent to an insulated wall based on the latest techniques, glass that generates electricity (BIPV, Building Integrated Photovoltaics), glass with variable light transmission that changes from clear to opaque at the touch of a switch, electroluminescent glass incorporating LEDs, head-up display glass¹, connected autmotive glass² and thin glass for high-tech applications such as interactive screens with large dimensions. 

The visit continued with a working meeting that focused on development projects for construction of anechoic chambers at Gosselies and vacuum-coated glass. 

ATC currently employs 282 researchers, engineers and technicians engaged in developing the glass products and processes of the future. It is also the world's leading R&D centre for the building industry within the AGC Group. 

1: System for projecting a virtual image, within the driver's field of view, showing information such as speed, fuel gauge etc. 
2: Some 10 million euros is being invested in testing AGC technology for glass with built-in radio antennae, to meet the growing connectivity needs of the automotive industry.