The flat glass market - Portugal

1.1 History of the Portuguese glass industry

The glass industry appeared late in Portugal, in the 18th century, in the city of Marinha Grande where it is still maintained today. Before that, traces of the existence of certain artisanal glass producers had been found in the 15th century ^th century. The glass was obtained by burning natural products with soda. Various types of furnaces have been used for glass production in Portugal, but the transition from a very limited artisanal production to industrial production was slow

In the middle of the 18th century ^th in the 20th century, the abundance of raw materials and fuels (wood from the Pinhal forest of Leira) made it possible for the glass industry to establish itself in the Marinha Grande region. In 1769, english William Stephens took advantage of the protection of the Marquis de Pombal (aid, free supply of wood for the king's pine forest, exemptions, etc.) and settled in this city. The Real Fábrica de Vidros da Marinha Grande (Royal Glass Factory of the Marinha Grande) has developed to such an extent that portugal became, just after England, the first country in the world to manufacture glass ( Vidreira de Mirandela ). In 2010, the only company that existed in the glass sector in Portugal had its activity suspended, with glass coming from other Spanish units ( Produtech ).

Currently AITVPP (Associação Dos Industriais Transformadores De Vidro Plano de Portugal), founded in 1975 and based in Porto, brings together professionals in the sector.