Vacuum insulation panel industry’s players announce the creation of a new and global association representing the sector
A group of ten companies involved in the manufacturing and supply chain of vacuum insulation panels today announce the creation of VIPA International, a global trade association with the expressed purpose of representing the interests of its member companies and raising awareness to the potential and capabilities of this super-insulating technology.
VIPA International will focus its efforts on educating stakeholders as well the general society about vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) and their use in applications such as buildings, appliances as well as transport. The founding members of the association also identified standardization and advocacy activities in different parts of the world as priority for the association.
Ten companies are participating in the creation of the new association:
- Evonik Industries
- Fujian Super Tech Advanced Material
- Hanita Coatings
- Kingspan Insulation
- Knauf Insulation
- Owens Corning
- Qingdao Kerui New Environmental Materials
- Rexor
- Turna
- va-Q-tec
Roland Caps of va-Q-tec and Oved Shapira of Hanita Coatings were elected as President and Vice-President of the association during a meeting with all the founding members in Brussels, on 16 September. Following his appointment as President, Roland Caps stated: “creating a global association was seen by all the companies as fundamental to provide us with the necessary structure to address the challenges and opportunities facing the vacuum insulation panel industry. We are all extremely pleased with this achievement and we invite other players in the market to join us in supporting the growth of this industry.”
Vacuum insulation panels are an ultra-thin, high performing insulation technology which is widely used in appliances such as refrigerators and deep-freezers. Only recently the panels started being used in the buildings sector where they can play a crucial role thanks to their reduced thickness and high thermal performance. In fact, VIPs perform five to twenty times better than conventional insulation materials.
In the coming months, ramp-up activities will dominate the agenda of the association like approving the Bylaws, finalizing the incorporation process, driving membership efforts and planning other added-value activities in line with the mission statement of the association. The website of the association will soon be available at www.vipa-international.org.