Eastman Signs Strategic Partnership with SEEN AG to Develop Bird-Friendly Glazing

To address the global challenge of birds colliding with glass in buildings, Eastman, manufacturer of Saflex PVB interlayers for architectural applications, is collaborating with SEEN AG, an architectural consulting firm based in Switzerland.

"Eastman continually searches for leading entrepreneurs in the glass industry," says Priya Kalsi, segment market manager with Eastman. "We saw a great opportunity to collaborate with Rouven Seidler, founder of SEEN AG and the inventor of this unique solution. Bird safety is becoming increasingly important throughout the world. This collaboration will enable glass professionals to support the construction industry with a highly effective, aesthetic, bird-friendly glazing solution."

"Billions of birds are killed when they collide with glass windows, link bridges, and curtain walls," says Seidler. "This sad reality inspired me to research and develop a unique solution. Eastman was the ideal partner to bring this solution to market. With performance proven at the Biological Station Hohenau-Ringelsdorf in Austria, the SEEN-Eastman partnership will result in one of the first 'in-glass' bird-friendly interlayers."

"Partnering with SEEN AG for bird-safe glass is an unparalleled opportunity to provide our customers with an effective solution for a distressing concern," says Eastman's Matthias Haller, marketing technical service representative.

There are no specific regulations for bird safety glazing yet, but bird-friendly solutions will become an integral part of future building design criteria. Countries such as the U.S. and Germany have started to require builders to integrate bird protection measures. New projects are already starting to address the issue, and Eastman targets a launch by mid-2021.