In January 2020, a key North American drywall player, Continental Building Products, was to be acquired by Saint-Gobain S.A., a leading global construction material company, Saint-Gobain's global footprint was expanded across North, East, and Southeast America through this strategic acquisition. By consolidating Continental's operations, Saint-Gobain significantly enhanced its position in the region, particularly in the very sought-after fields of building materials and construction. Saint-Gobain also gained the plus of increased operational capability in the North American market and increased range through the acquisition. Through leveraging Continental's established footprint in key markets, the acquisition partakes of Saint-Gobain's growth strategy with the aim of providing high-performance and sustainable offerings to the building industry.
In September 2019, AGC signed an agreement with NOMURA to develop and accelerate the commercial expansion of diverse glass products with an emphasis on the interior market. This strategic alliance is a bid to merge the glass manufacturing process of AGC with the business development capability of NOMURA. The alliance was crafted to come up with innovative glass products for interior design applications such as architecture and home decoration. The deal was intended to leverage growing market potential and grow the supply of high-quality, attractive glass solutions by bringing the better of the two companies. The alliance was AGC's response to extending its product offerings and increasing its position in the booming interior design business.
In June 2019, Tokyo Institute of Technology and Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (AGC) founded the "ACG Material Collaborative Research Cluster”. The reason behind collaboration was to promote research and development in various areas, such as glass, ceramics, and other organic materials. For promoting innovative advancements in material science, the initiative combined the research capabilities of the Tokyo Institute of Technology with the expertise of AGC in advanced materials. In order to promote inter-disciplinary collaboration and create high-performance materials for industries like electronics, automotive, and construction, the research cluster was set up. The innovation and drive by AGC to seek sustainable material science solutions through collaboration with top universities is reflected in this alliance.
The laminated glass industry is expanding at an impressive pace driven by increasing demand in applications in various industries such as construction, automotive, and security.
This increase is due to increased knowledge of laminated glass's safety features such as impact resistance, acoustic insulation, and protection against UV. Domestic and commercial buildings are a leading driver in the building industry because laminated glass is used for windows, facades, and skylights to improve security and visual appeal.
The automobile industry also helps drive market expansion, as laminated glass is normally applied to windows and windshields for protection and longevity. Moreover, the increase in glass technology and the increasing awareness of green building materials are also anticipated to drive industry expansion.
Sources:
Company- Saint Gobain, AGC. Inc
News outlet: Businesswire, Global Gypsum
