Petr Novotný was born in 1952 in Letohrad, Eastern Bohemia. In 1967, he came to Nový Bor to train as a glassmaker, and in 1972 he began working at the hot shop of Crystalex under the guidance of master Rozinek. It was here that he discovered the craft that became his lifelong passion.

In 1980, he began teaching future generations at the glassmaking school. As an educator, he was active at institutions such as the Pilchuck Glass School in the USA, led workshops, and represented Czech glass at international symposia. As part of a United Nations program, he trained glassmakers in India and systematically developed historical glassmaking techniques, including replicas of historical glass and the restoration of Venetian chandeliers.

Even during the communist era in the 1980s, Petr Novotný built a small furnace at his family home, where he produced his first replicas of historical glass in his spare time for heritage conservation specialists. He continued this home-based production in cooperation with other glassmakers under the trade name BON - Biron, Otčenášek, Novotný. At this time, Petr Novotný had already begun to consider the idea of establishing a large glassworks.

In 1986, Petr Novotný was ranked among the three best glassmakers in the world. He was regarded as one of the finest glassblowers of his time. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards for his outstanding contribution to the craft of glassmaking.

In 1992, Petr Novotný, technologist Libor Fafala, and art director Bořek Šípek purchased a dilapidated former fabric dye house in Lindava, which they opened as the Ajeto glassworks after reconstruction on October 28, 1994. The Ajeto glassworks quickly gained a reputation in professional circles and achieved success through international commissions. Abet glassworks produced hot-shaped decorative glass and glass components for projects such as the interiors of Prague Castle, a casino in Innsbruck, Karl Lagerfeld stores, and the Het Kruithuis museum in the Netherlands. In 2014, Ajeto, which exports 90% of its production and also handles unique bespoke projects, was named Company of the Year.

When Crystalex offered the adjacent property of an unused kindergarten for sale in 2007, Petr Novotný did not hesitate to buy it and began building a unique centre: a glassworks connected with a restaurant and a museum of contemporary glass under the Ajeto brand, today known as Novotný Glass.

In 2017, Petr Novotný sold the Lindava Ajeto glassworks to the design company Lasvit and renamed the Nový Bor complex “Novotný Glass Center.”

His most notable students include Rob Stern, Martin Janecký, Jiří Pačínek, and Petr Kuchta, who today belong among respected glass artists working internationally.

In 2022, his son Ondřej Novotný took over the management of the Novotný Glass glassworks. Today, with the support of his brothers, who are also co-owners, he continues his father's legacy, not only as a glass master but also as an artist with his own international reputation. Through long-term collaborations with artists from around the world and his active international presence, Ondřej Novotný is now a respected figure in the global glassmaking community.