High End And Emerging Glass Is Gaining Speed Up
May 29, 2026
Driven by AI computing demand, glass substrates, which used in advanced packaging and CPO optical interconnects are now entering engineering validation windows.
On May 20, BOE and Corning signed an MOU covering perovskite, foldable, and packaging carrier glass. That said, both companies made it clear there's no meaningful revenue impact expected within the next 2 to 3 years.
On the equipment side, DR Laser and DL Laser have started shipping TGV (through-glass via) tools for panel-level processing.
Still, most in the industry don't expect commercial-scale production until somewhere between 2027 and 2030.
Meanwhile, specialty functional glass continues to get strong government backing. This includes borosilicate 4.0 for fire resistance, 0.12mm electronic touch glass, neutral borosilicate for pharmaceutical vials, and quartz glass for aerospace applications.
One telling shift: by 2025, industrial-use glass is expected to take over 60% of total consumption, while traditional architectural glass will drop below 40%. That's a pretty big milestone - and a sign of where the market is really headed.
