The transportation and architecture sectors are driving the demand for smart glass and window products around the world. In particular, the surge in the sale of hybrid and electric vehicles in recent years has resulted in a drop in the price of electrochromic materials, while increasing the demand for smart glass products for vertical markets, such as the transportation and commercial sectors. Projections for the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for glass and smart windows look promising across the 2020/2030 decade.
Smart glasses for construction
Today, industry-leading manufacturers are promoting smart glass-mediated real estate solutions, capable of combining additional features and technologies. For example, smart laminated glass tends to mitigate damage and injuries in the event of breakage. The high commercial safety of these products is a crucial feature for their diffusion. It adds up to high energy efficiency and significantly reduced maintenance costs; qualities that make intelligent glass the wild card of the architectural sector.
It should be highlighted how rigorous energy saving legislation, applied by various government bodies, has further favored the adoption of smart glass in the world. A very similar dynamic was induced by local policies and by the growing support for sustainable construction.
The Asian primacy
In particular, the interest of the Asia-Pacific region is proving to be decisive for the affirmation of smart glass. An example of this trend is the choice to use this material in the first-class bogies of Indian superfast trains.
The interest of the automotive sector
Also noteworthy is the recent announcement by General Motors, a company that has invested 81 million dollars in the historic GM Global Technical Center in Michigan to create the assembly area, where an almost artisanal approach and standards of absolute quality will apply to design Celestiq, Cadillac’s future flagship sedan.
The experimentation of shapes and the reworking of the brand’s stylistic features for the bodywork will be accompanied by disruptive interiors, where smart glass will become the protagonist. Cadillac has in fact provided numerous internal LED screens, among which a curved 55” screen, which crosses the entire dashboard, stands out.
The roof adopts the Smart Glass Roof technology, which creates four separate areas that can be darkened by the respective passengers. Each quadrant can count on a sort of virtual curtain, which allows you to enjoy different video content, not visible to other passengers. The screens, equipped with a dynamic sense of privacy, also avoid potential distractions by the driver.
The trend of the sector
Today, products that exploit smart glass technology are widely used in various fields: not only for cars, yachts, airplanes and trains, but above all for residential and commercial purposes. It is worth mentioning that the pandemic has led to a stalemate in production within the electronics sector. At the same time, there have been serious disruptions in exports of Chinese components, with negative repercussions on the global window and smart glass market.
However, the recovery of the economy was accompanied by an increase in the demand for innovative products. Organizations are now looking to invest in next generation solutions, using new technologies to anticipate customer demand.
Sources: Glass-Technology International, quattroruote.it
