GIMAV – the Italian Association of Suppliers of Machinery, Accessories and Special Products for Glass Processing – and Vitrum – the international trade show for glass technologies – announced a leadership change. As of June 16, Lucia Masutti will succeed Fabrizio Cattaneo as General Manager of both entities, also joining the Board of Directors of Vitrum.
Lucia Masutti, currently General Manager of Glass Group – the largest Italian group of flat glass processing industries – and President of the Transformers Section of Assovetro, represents a high-profile figure, selected to lead GIMAV and Vitrum into a new phase of development and consolidation of the glass supply chain.
The strategic decision to entrust the leadership to Lucia Masutti responds to the need to strengthen the interconnection between the different players in the supply chain, thanks to her consolidated knowledge of the flat glass industry players, extensive experience in developing strategic industrial partnerships, and strong expertise in institutional relations, developed through her career at Fondazione Cariplo, one of the leading banking foundations in Europe.
With this appointment, GIMAV and Vitrum are preparing to face a new season of transformation, in which the strategic direction will be the strengthening of the supply chain through dialogue with businesses, institutions and research centres. The Glass Group network and her active role in Assovetro will help give strength and concreteness to the new initiatives under way.
Dino Zandonella Necca, President of GIMAV and Vitrum, commented, “This appointment strengthens the renewal path already undertaken. We believe that the vision and skills of Lucia Masutti can represent a strategic added value for both organizations. The goal is clear: to consolidate GIMAV as a unified point of reference for the entire glass industry – both flat and hollow – strengthening the representation of the supply chain in all its components, and promoting an integrated and innovation-oriented approach. The relationships built over the years by Lucia Masutti, combined with her ability to activate concrete synergies, will be a major driving force in tackling the current and future challenges of the industrial sector.”
Lucia Masutti added, “For GIMAV we are already working on a new membership program, aimed at consolidating and expanding the association base, with particular attention to service innovation and the Association’s ability to meet the new needs of businesses. For Vitrum, the top priority will be to restore the trade show to full competitiveness, giving it a strong positioning both in terms of appeal for visitors and industry operators, and in terms of geographic market relevance. Vitrum must return to being a strategic destination, a must-attend event for those working in the glass industry, capable of capturing global trends and creating real value for companies.
“We look to 2050 with a clear vision: Vitrum must represent the industry of the future. Innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence and sustainability will be the central themes around which to build a trade show ecosystem capable of attracting operators, stakeholders and decision makers from high-potential emerging markets such as North Africa, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The goal is to concretely support the internationalization of companies and contribute to the opening of new commercial and industrial opportunities.”
To achieve these objectives, it will be essential, starting from this edition, to activate greater involvement of institutions responsible for business economic development and internationalization, starting with ICE – the Italian Trade Agency – which can play a strategic role in facilitating the arrival of qualified buyers and introducing new markets and growth opportunities to Italian companies. Strengthening institutional relations, alongside the involvement of research bodies, universities and competence centres, will be an integral part of a vision that aims to project Vitrum into the near future as a reference platform for advanced manufacturing.
The current economic and industrial context – characterized by complex geopolitical dynamics, rapid technological evolution and growing focus on sustainability – requires a cohesive, strategic and forward-looking approach. In this perspective, the appointment of Lucia Masutti fits into a broader plan of aggregation and collaboration among supply chain actors, institutions, research centres, and international markets. Only through a shared and synergistic vision will it be possible to address the challenges of the coming years, strengthen the competitiveness of companies and enhance Italian excellence in the glass sector.