Become a speaker

Be part of the glasstec conference and present your expertise on the hot topics at glasstec.

In 2026 the glasstec conference will again be held in parallel with the biggest international trade fair revolving around the material that is glass. At this high-calibre conference, solutions to the current challenges and developments are presented and discussed by experts.

Last speaker slots available

Only a few places remain in the glasstec programme. Apply now as a speaker and bring your expertise to the stage.

glass melting pot – (12 remaining slots)
glass trends sessions – (3 remaining slots)
CircuClarity Two – (4 remaining slots)
CircuClarity Award 2026

Participation formats and calls for abstracts

glass trends sessions

The hot topics (AI & digital technologies, decarbonisation and the circular economy) permeate all areas of the glass world: glass production, glass processing and finishing, as well as glass products and applications.

Is your company already involved in these areas? How is your company preparing for the future situation, and which products are aimed at meeting these challenges and expectations? The glass trends sessions at glasstec, with their open lecture stage, give you the opportunity to present your solutions and developments.

We therefore invite you, as an exhibitor and industry expert, to participate in the discussions and presentations on solving the challenges of our time at glasstec 2026 with a speech. Institutions from the fields of research and teaching, as well as specialist publishers and associations/organisations, are also invited to participate with a presentation.

Send us your proposal if your contribution addresses at least one of the above-mentioned challenges. A jury of experts will select the most exciting and innovative contributions.

Terms and conditions

Eligibility:
Participation is only open to exhibitors at glasstec 2026, research and teaching institutions, specialist publishers, associations and organisations.

Topics:
The article must address at least one of the following topics:

AI & digital technologies (digitalisation, AI and machine language)
Decarbonisation (new technologies and sustainable raw materials)
Circular economy (energy, resources and recycling in the glass industry)

Content requirements:
The presentation must be technical, user- or application-oriented. Product or sales presentations are not permitted. Practical contributions are preferred. The presentation language is German or English (simultaneous translation on site). Each presentation slot comprises 15–20 minutes of presentation time (including time for Q&As), depending on the number of submissions.

Selection process:
Submission of an entry does not guarantee participation. Messe Düsseldorf reserves the right to select entries with the support of a panel of experts. Participation is free of charge for entries accepted into the programme.

Important dates and deadlines:

Submission deadline: 15 June 2026
Notification of acceptance: By the end of July 2026, you will receive feedback on whether and when your contribution will be published.
Conference dates: 20–23 October 2026.

Important dates and deadlines

Submission deadline: 15 June 2026
Notification of acceptance: By the end of July 2026, you will receive feedback on whether and when your contribution will be published.
Conference dates: 20–23 October 2026.

Submit contribution

More information about the glass trends sessions

Speaker on stage at the glasstec conference

The glass trends sessions at glasstec, with their open lecture stage, give you the opportunity to present your solutions and developments.

glass melting pot

The session ‘glass melting pot – bringing together research and industry’ offers a platform for researchers and industry partners to present and discuss their research ideas in an environment of international glass experts from industry, technology, design, universities, public service and authorities.

The aim is to initiate a dialogue between research and industry on current and future research and development directions in the fields of glass technology, design and production.

We hereby announce the call for abstracts for the upcoming event ‘glass melting pot – bringing together research and industry’.

New research ideas and ongoing research projects will be presented in short pitches, followed by discussions with the international audience of glass experts.

Terms and conditions

Eligibility:
All glasstec participants are eligible to submit presentations. Researchers and industry partners with a mock-up (exhibit) at the special show ‘glass technology live’ are particularly encouraged to take advantage of this special opportunity to generate interest in their product.

Content requirements:
Presentations must be concise and energetic, with a compelling and clearly structured storyline. They should inspire the audience, remain focused and convey a strong, memorable message. The main content must be a technical, user-related or application-related presentation.

Presentation formats:
Basic rule: If you have a mock-up, please present using the mock-up.

Pecha Kucha on stage (without mock-up, 20 slides × 20 seconds = 6:40 minutes)
Flipchart presentation using mock-up (5–7 minutes)
‘Present your mock-up’ (without materials or PowerPoint, 5–7 minutes) – bring your mock-up to life!

Selection process:
The organiser reserves the right to select the relevant presentations.
Please note that the submitted entries will be forwarded to the organisers. Participation is free of charge upon acceptance into the program.

Important dates and deadlines

Submission deadline: 10 July 2026
Notification of acceptance: August 2026
Conference dates: 20, 22 and 23 October 2026.

Submit contribution

Mehr Informationen über die Veranstaltung

New research ideas and ongoing research projects will be presented in short pitches, followed by discussions with an international audience of glass experts.

CircuClarity Two

We are pleased to announce a call for abstracts for the upcoming conference ‘CircuClarity Two – Beyond Progress - From Practice to Impact’ focusing on the balance between innovation and environmental impact in the glass and façade industry. This conference aims to showcase research results in practical implementation and the translation of prototypes into viable projects.

Each session will begin with an assessment of the current status quo. Submitted contributions should build on already established topics and represent their expansion, deepening or further development, particularly with regard to transferability, scalability and practical application.

We welcome abstracts on any of the following four topics:

Secondary Resources in practise and findings from research
Material Recovery Systems & Energy use in production with minimum environmental impact
Design for Disassembly & Collaboration in the design process
Data and communication

Terms and conditions

Topics:

I. Secondary Resources in practise and findings from research

Smart repair
Urban Mining
Refurbish and Remanufacture
Reuse (such as reuse of windows, glass and frame material)
Recycling

II. Material Recovery Systems & Energy use in production with minimum environmental impact

Collection systems
Collaboration for collection and preparation for product reintegration
Buisness modells (such as Leasing concepts)
Shift to renewable energy
Energy reduction

III. Design for Disassembly & Collaboration in the design process

Machines for disassembly
Successful collaboration
Access to resources after a use phase

IV. Data and communication

Product information to support circularity
Information structure between stakeholders over time
Plattforms
AI and circularity
Environmental data

Eligibility for Participation:
Submission of presentations is open to all interested parties.

Content Requirements:
The contribution must address one of the four topics mentioned above. Pure product presentations are not desired.

Selection Process:
The submission of a presentation does not constitute a claim to participation. The organizer reserves the right to select the relevant presentations. Please note that the submitted contributions will be forwarded to the organizers.

Participation is free of charge upon acceptance into the program.

Important deadlines and dates

Submission deadline: 15 June 2026
Notification of acceptance: July 2026
Conference dates: 20–21 October 2026

Submit contribution

More information about the event

Speaker on stage at the CircuClarity One

CircuClarity Two aims to demonstrate research results in practical implementation and the translation of prototypes into feasible projects.

CircuClarity Award 2026

The CircuClarity Award will be presented for the second time in 2026 and honours projects that significantly advance the circular economy in the glass and façade industry. The award is aimed at experts from industry and research and continues to place a special focus on student work, which often produces the most courageous and unconventional approaches.

The award-winning entries will be presented at glasstec 2026: solutions that challenge established processes, use materials more intelligently and show how circular principles can be effective in practice. The award ceremony offers a concentrated insight into the most innovative developments of the year and invites visitors to be inspired by the ideas of the next generation.

The competition is open to entries from representatives of the glass and façade industry, engineers, architects and scientists. Student entries will be recognised in a separate category and the winner of the student prize will receive prize money of €1,500.

Entries may be submitted in the following categories:

Reuse
Remanufacture
Recycling
Climate neutrality
Smart Process

Terms and conditions

Eligibility:
The competition is open to entries from representatives of the glass and façade industry, engineers, architects and scientists. Student entries will be recognised in a separate category, and the winner of the student prize will receive prize money of €1,500.

Topics:

Reuse
Remanufacture
Recycling
Climate neutrality
Smart processes

Content requirements:
Please submit your entries in ppt format using the template provided by us. Please limit your entry to a maximum of 6 slides per submission. Longer entries will not be considered. Only one category may be specified. All entries must contain the necessary descriptions and images to be self-explanatory – there is no opportunity to present them to the jury. The slides should begin with an overview slide in the specified layout. The following 5 slides are structured in terms of concept, details and environmental benefits in an individual layout. The text must be limited to 1,000 words.

Award categories:

Reuse
Remanufacture
Recycling
Climate neutrality
Smart processes
student award

Jury:

Prof. Ulrich Knaack (TU Darmstadt)
Prof. Martien Teich (Hochschule München)
Dr. Miriam Schuster (TU Darmstadt)
Prof. Mauro Overend (TU Delft)
Prof. Michael Engelmann (TU Dresden)
Jean-Paul Hautekeer (Dow Chemical Company)
Dr. Lisa Rammig (Eckersley O'Callaghan)
Dr. Linda Hildebrand (Office for Circularity in the Built Environment)

Important dates and deadlines

Submission deadline: 18 September 2026, 6 p.m.
Jury meeting: 21 to 25 September 2026
Award ceremony: 21 October 2026 in the afternoon in Hall 11 on Stage 3

Submit contribution

More information about the event

The award ceremony offers a concentrated insight into the most innovative developments of the year and invites you to be inspired by the ideas of the next generation.