£20 million glass 'centre of excellence' announced for Magna

The Glass Futures project is the brainchild of the British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation in Sheffield, is backed by a consortium including two of the world’s largest glass manufacturers, as well as Siemens and Leeds University.

The project will employ about 100 people and include a furnace producing 30 tonnes of glass a day for windows, bottles and fibreglass.

It will be housed in a previously unused area of the former Templeborough steelworks, with the intention of integrating it into the existing tourist attraction.

Magna chief executive John Silker said: “This is an incredibly exciting project to be part of. 

“As a former steelworks we are very much at the heart of industry in South Yorkshire and so we are thrilled to host this centre of international importance.”

Richard Katz, director of not-for-profit firm Glass Futures said: “We are very excited to be working with the team at Magna, which is the perfect venue for this project being at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Investment District and part of science education.”