VITRUM 2027 Gears Up for Growth: From Bottles to Space, Glass Opens Up New Markets Alongside MADE Expo

The industrial partnership with Italian Exhibition Group supports the goal of increasing the

number of exhibitors and expanding exhibition space. Glass4Space and FORMAE bring the

Glass Economy to life. On the international front, the target is to attract 150 international

buyers, with dedicated country presentations highlighting new market opportunities.

22 October 2026 — From bottles to the aerospace industry, glass plays a key role in sectors that

may seem worlds apart. What connects them are the technologies, expertise and companies that make these applications possible. This is the foundation of VITRUM 2027’s ambitious vision:

to increase participation, bring together market demand and innovation, and create new

business opportunities for the glass industry.

Officially presented to the international press during the press dinner on 22 October, the

upcoming edition of the Milan-based exhibition introduces an industrial partnership with Italian

Exhibition Group (IEG), new projects dedicated to industry segments and applications, and a

business-oriented internationalization program.

VITRUM 2027 will also take place alongside MADE Expo, creating an opportunity to bring

together the glass industry and the construction sector, with the aim of fostering new synergies

between complementary industries and expanding business opportunities for exhibitors and

visitors.

At the heart of this vision is the Glass Economy: the economic ecosystem generated around and

through glass, encompassing machinery, products, expertise and end-use industries. This

perspective brings a fundamental question to the exhibition: where will the next wave of

demand for glass emerge, and which technologies will be needed to meet it?

Partnering with IEG to Drive Growth

The industrial partnership with Italian Exhibition Group represents a key driver of growth for

VITRUM 2027. The goal is to increase company participation and expand exhibition space,

strengthening the event’s ability to attract businesses and industry professionals.

IEG’s trade fair expertise and extensive network of industry connections will complement

VITRUM and GIMAV’s in-depth knowledge of the glass industry and their long-established

relationships across the sector. This joint effort aims to increase exhibitor participation, enhance

the visibility of the various industry segments and strengthen the exhibition’s international

positioning.

More companies, more technologies, more opportunities to connect: the expansion of

exhibition space will be supported by a comprehensive program of content and networking

opportunities designed to deliver greater value to participants.

Glass4Space: Where Glass Meets the Aerospace Industry

The Glass Economy initiative will begin with Glass4Space, a project specifically dedicated to

exploring the relationship between glass and the aerospace industry.

This initiative brings VITRUM into dialogue with a sector where precision, reliability and

performance are critical. Glass4Space will highlight the contribution of glass to the aerospace

industry and the opportunities that collaboration between different industries can create for

materials, manufacturing processes and technologies.

Aerospace thus becomes the first focus of this new approach: connecting the capabilities of the

glass industry with the needs of end-use sectors, identifying new development opportunities and fostering relationships with potential partners.

The next business opportunity for a glass company could come from a market it has never

engaged with before. VITRUM aims to make that connection possible

FORMAE: A New Identity for the Industrial Strength of Hollow Glass

With FORMAE, VITRUM 2027 will provide a distinctive and dedicated space for the entire

hollow glass and glass packaging ecosystem: machinery, technologies, processes and products,

from bottles and vials to containers and tableware.

The scale of the market highlights the significance of this initiative. According to the FEVE 2025

Annual Report, European production of glass containers for food and beverages reached 73.3

billion units, representing 2% growth.

The glass packaging ecosystem, including packaged products, also generates over €140 billion

in added value across the European Union and supports more than 850,000 jobs. These

figures demonstrate how closely glass is linked to the competitiveness of industries such as food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and perfumery.

FORMAE has been created to showcase the technologies driving this ecosystem and encourage

discussion of its key challenges: energy efficiency, productivity, quality, automation and product

innovation.

Internationalization: Bringing Global Markets to the Exhibition

VITRUM will reaffirm its role as a meeting point between companies and leading international

industry players, further strengthening its focus on global market demand.

For 2027, the goal is to attract at least 150 international buyers through an incoming buyer

program focused on the quality of participants and the business opportunities available to

exhibitors.

Alongside business meetings, the country presentations will provide valuable insights into

emerging markets, exploring local demand, investment prospects, technological requirements

and market entry opportunities. This approach will complement business networking with the

knowledge and information needed to understand where and how commercial relationships can

be developed.

This strategy builds on VITRUM's ongoing international activities, including trade missions,

incoming buyer programs and Italian glassWAYS, the initiative launched at glasstec to promote

the Italian glass industry internationally, with plans to continue at major global industry events,

including China Glass and GlassBuild America.

VITRUM will be the place where these relationships can translate into business meetings,

projects and new opportunities for companies.

Technologies at the Core, New Markets on the Horizon

“With VITRUM 2027, we want to give companies concrete reasons to participate: qualified

business contacts, access to international markets and opportunities to engage with industries

capable of generating new demand,” says Barbara Antonini, President of VITRUM.

“Our partnership with IEG supports our growth ambitions. Glass4Space and FORMAE bring

substance to the Glass Economy concept. Our international program brings buyers and valuable

market insights directly to the exhibition.

All these elements are part of a single, integrated project: to increase the commercial and industrial value of VITRUM for everyone involved.”

For an exhibition that has connected glass technologies with the world for more than forty years, 2027 marks another step forward: expanding its ability to attract industry players and turning new applications into growth opportunities for the entire glass value chain.

From bottles to space, market demand is evolving. VITRUM 2027 is bringing together the

technologies needed to meet it.

*The figures presented in the FORMAE section are drawn from the FEVE 2025 Annual

Report, published on 24 July 2026. The €140 billion in added value and 850,000 jobs include

products packaged in glass, as specified in the text.