Brdo pri Kranju, 16 September 2025 – At this year’s Innovation Day, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia for the 23rd time, Vaider Group’s HRASTNIK1860 and the National Institute of Chemistry received the Chamber’s gold national award for innovation for the development of a hybrid regenerative glass furnace as part of the BEAR (Hybrid Regenerative Glass Furnace) project.
The BEAR project represents a breakthrough in the decarbonisation of the glass industry. The first hybrid regenerative furnace combines renewable electric heating with traditional natural gas melting. This increases the share of electrical energy in the melting process to more than 40 %, resulting in a reduction of more than 50 % in natural gas consumption and a 33 % decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.
»The gold award for innovation Steklarna Hrastnik, received for the BEAR project confirms that the knowledge and dedication of our team bring noticeable results and an impact that goes beyond everyday obligations.
The project, in which we launched a new hybrid furnace, is not only a technological achievement but also a symbol of the company’s values and vision—a vision of a future where innovative sustainability and advanced technologies go hand in hand.
We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised and appreciated. The gold award is an important confirmation for the company and our team that we are on the right track, and it encourages us to continue with innovative sustainable practices and excellence, and to continue to strengthen the company’s reputation as an innovative and sustainable manufacturer of glass packaging.«
Christian Fröba, CEO HRASTNIK1860 and Vaider Group
The theme of this year’s Innovation Day was “Reaching for the sky with new technologies,” which, according to the GZS, symbolises Slovenia’s significant strides on the global technology map. The National GZS Gold Award represents a great honour for us and, at the same time, a commitment to continue pursuing the goal of sustainable transformation of the glass industry and to create the technologies of the future together with our partners.
»The BEAR project represents an extremely important milestone, as the hybridisation of glass furnaces is steering our industry towards decarbonization – which is also confirmed by the Gold Award for Innovation received today. Our hybrid furnace enables a 50% reduction in natural gas consumption, which means almost 100,000 tons less CO₂ emissions in the first decade of operation. This corresponds to the annual emissions of approximately 20,000 households in the Zasavje region. The BEAR project also underpins several international development and innovation projects, both in the field of further electrification of glass melting and in the use of hydrogen, paving the way for a climate-neutral glass industry.«
Tilen Sever, Director of Development and Innovation at HRASTNIK1860
This year’s competition received 245 innovative proposals, involving more than 1,300 innovators, which, according to GZS President Tibor Šimonka, proves that “innovation is becoming a fundamental value of the Slovenian economy and society as a whole.” The 53 best regional innovations competed for national recognition. In addition to Steklarna Hrastnik, gold awards were also received by Roto, Sij Acroni, Tab Systems, Iskra Ipo, Krka, Impol 2000, Microbium, Novartis, and Keko–oprema.
Congratulations to all!
