An interview with Temistocle Giovanni Fabbris, Sales Director of Stara Glass, a groupLTT company
Europe’s glass industry is approaching a defining moment. Faced with volatile energy costs, demanding decarbonisation targets and fierce global competition, the transition towards more sustainable production has moved beyond theory to become a matter of industrial resilience. Yet modernising furnaces that operate continuously at temperatures above 1,500°C (and whose investment cycles, in some cases, can span two decades) requires more than ambition. It requires technological pragmatism, sound engineering and the ability to deliver. We spoke with Temistocle Giovanni Fabbris, Sales Director of Stara Glass, recently acquired by groupLTT, about the industry’s most pressing challenges, the role of collaborative innovation in initiatives such as LIFE SUGAR, H2GLASS and COREu, and what the sector can expect on the road to glasstec 2026.
groupLTT: The glass industry is currently facing what might be described as a perfect storm: climate targets demand substantial investment in decarbonisation, while energy costs and competitive pressures restrict the financial room for manoeuvre. How do you assess the sector’s current position?
Temistocle Giovanni Fabbris: We are facing one of the greatest engineering and management challenges in our industry’s recent history. Europe’s glass sector is fully committed to the transition towards climate neutrality, but we must remain realistic about our starting point. Glass melting is an extremely energy-intensive process and has historically depended heavily on natural gas. Producers are now dealing with energy and carbon costs that are placing Europe’s industrial competitiveness under significant pressure.
The central challenge is that a glass furnace is a capital-intensive asset with an operating life of approximately 10 years. The investment decisions producers make today, or will make in the near future, will determine their technological and emissions profile for the next decade. There is very little room for error.
For that reason, this is not the time for idealism; it is the time for pragmatism. We need technologies that not only reduce CO₂ emissions but are also economically and operationally viable, while safeguarding glass quality, production stability and the long-term competitiveness of each plant.
groupLTT: Electrification, green hydrogen and hybrid furnaces are frequently presented as the future of glass melting. Do you believe there is one definitive technological solution?
TGF: The short answer is no. There is no universal silver bullet. The right technology for any given plant depends on several local factors: the availability and cost of renewable electricity, local hydrogen infrastructure, the type and quality of glass being produced, the furnace size and, in some cases, even the physical space available at the facility.
At Stara Glass, we believe in a technologically neutral and flexible approach. Our role is not to impose a particular technology, but to engineer the most appropriate mix of solutions for each customer’s operating environment and strategic objectives.
This is why we are closely involved in leading European innovation programmes. We lead LIFE SUGAR, which is focused on developing a glass furnace concept based on total energy recovery and exceptionally high thermal efficiency. We also participate in H2GLASS, which explores the integration of hydrogen technologies in glass production, and in COREu, where Stara Glass leads the Glass Industry Emission Reduction Alliance, or ERA, supporting the development of practical pathways for carbon capture, transport and storage in the sector.
This diversity of research is essential. It allows us to offer customers a portfolio of tested and complementary solutions—from advanced hybrid furnaces and heat-recovery systems to alternative-fuel integration—while reducing the technological and financial risk associated with long-term investment decisions.
groupLTT: Digitalisation is another major component of the transition. Artificial intelligence and digital twins are often described as revolutionary technologies. How is Stara Glass applying them in practical terms?
TGF: Digitalisation is the connecting thread between energy efficiency, process stability, product quality and vision. At Stara Glass, we do not view artificial intelligence as an abstract concept or an end in itself. We see it as a process-control tool.
A modern furnace generates thousands of data points every second. The real value emerges when those data are transformed into operational intelligence. Artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and digital twins can help us model and predict the furnace’s thermal behaviour in real time, without physically disrupting production.
This creates significant opportunities. We can optimise combustion, identify deviations earlier, anticipate maintenance requirements before they become critical failures, and adjust operating parameters dynamically to improve stability and efficiency.
Digital technologies are also increasingly important when a plant raises its use of recycled glass, or cullet. Greater cullet incorporation is fundamental to circularity and lowers melting energy requirements, but changes in raw-material composition must be managed carefully. Better sensing, modelling and process control allow producers to respond to these variations with much greater precision.
The glass factory of the future will therefore be data-driven, but it will not be people-free. Digital tools must reinforce the expertise of operators and engineers, capturing process knowledge and enabling faster, safer and better-informed decisions.
groupLTT: Stara Glass was recently acquired by groupLTT. What does this integration change for your customers, and how does it strengthen the company’s position in the market?
TGF: Joining groupLTT represents a fundamental step forward in our capacity to respond globally. Stara Glass has built its reputation on furnace engineering, thermal-process expertise and technological innovation. As part of groupLTT, we now combine that specialist knowledge with greater industrial scale, wider resources and stronger international execution capabilities.
For our customers, this means we can take a more comprehensive role in complex technological-transition projects, from conceptual engineering and the supply of high-performance refractory solutions through construction, commissioning and the integration of digital control systems.
The combination of Stara Glass’s specialised engineering with the complementary capabilities available across groupLTT enables us to address broader scopes, optimise supply chains and accelerate the delivery of innovative solutions. It strengthens our ability to act as a long-term partner, rather than simply as a supplier.
Ultimately, the value lies in integration: bringing together engineering, materials, execution and lifecycle support to help customers reduce project risk and improve long-term plant performance.
Looking ahead, glasstec 2026 in Düsseldorf will focus strongly on decarbonisation, circularity and digital technologies. What can visitors expect from Stara Glass and groupLTT at the event?
TGF: glasstec 2026 will be an important milestone. I believe it will be the edition at which the industry moves decisively from discussing whether and when it should transform to examining how that transformation can be implemented successfully.
The conceptual phase is giving way to execution. Producers now need evidence, operational experience and scalable solutions that can be adapted to existing plants as well as new-build projects.
Stara Glass and groupLTT intend to contribute to that discussion with concrete progress. Visitors will be able to learn more about the practical development of initiatives such as LIFE SUGAR and about our work on advanced hybrid furnaces, heat recovery, alternative energy vectors and digitally supported process optimisation.
Most importantly, we want to demonstrate that decarbonisation and competitiveness must be addressed together. A technically impressive solution has limited value if it cannot maintain quality, reliability and economic viability in daily operation.
Our message for glasstec 2026 is therefore straightforward: the future of glass will be built through robust engineering, technological flexibility, reliable partnerships and solutions that can deliver measurable results in real industrial conditions.
glasstec 2026 will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 20 to 23 October 2026. Stara Glass and groupLTT will be present to discuss integrated solutions for the decarbonisation, digitalisation and modernisation of the global glass industry.
