Innovators at Work: Meet Diego Fantini
Sustainable innovations are essential to driving Ahlstrom’s growth. With the industry's most expansive set of technologies at our fingertips, we have every capability to create safe and sustainable solutions that meet our customers' needs and address global trends. Behind every great Ahlstrom invention stands a team of experts. Let’s meet one of our scientists!
Let’s meet one of our scientists -Diego Fantini! Diego is our R&D Project Manager in Filtration, located in Turin, Italy.
What is your academic background (university, major, degrees)?
I earned a master’s degree in industrial chemistry and a Ph.D. in chemistry, both from the University of Turin, Italy.
How long have you been with Ahlstrom?
My journey with Ahlstrom began 20 years ago, when I chose to collaborate with Ahlstrom’s Turin plant at the start of my Ph.D. work. After defending my dissertation, I was hired as R&D Scientist at the Ahlstrom Research Center in Pont-Évêque, France. I shared my expertise between Pont-Évêque and Turin until I officially joined the Filtration team in 2019 as R&D Project Manager based in Turin. Ahlstrom is my first job experience so far!
What are the responsibilities under your job title?
As a chemistry expert, I develop, implement, and optimize chemical formulations according to customer needs. I am also responsible for delivering breakthrough innovation. This means creating new, never before seen products and introducing them to new markets to generate competitive advantage for the company.
What is your current focus at work (e.g., specific innovation or solution)?
My current attention is on changing the way Filtration treats and formulates pulps in order to improve the filtration properties, profitability, and sustainability of our grades. My motto for this project is: ”Filtration will be in a way that has never been possible before.” I am also working to reduce the environmental impact of our industrial waste, for both sustainability and cost saving reasons.
Why is this work important for customers; what need/problem does it solve?
This current work is important because it is aimed at improving the essence of filtration itself − the ability to filter the smallest possible particles using the least possible energy.
Ahlstrom is focused on addressing global trends (clean air & water, personalized healthcare, sustainable packaging & protection, decarbonization of buildings, electrification) to drive growth. Which trend is your work related to?
My work addresses every trend that relies on filter media. By innovating on fiber recipes – the foundation of all filtration media – we will improve filtration properties in general.
What emerging technology or market most interests you?
Rather than a single technology or market, I am interested in what I do not yet know in general.
What excites you most about Ahlstrom’s future?
I am excited to see what advancements Ahlstrom will make in the field of sustainability. It is challenging work, but our purpose – to Purify and Protect – will guide our contributions to this adventure.
What do you consider to be a highlight(s) of your career so far (job titles, patents, awards)?
Thanks to Ahlstrom, I have the opportunity to concretize my ideas into new technologies and products. It gives me great satisfaction to see our tracks loading with products that I have helped make possible, like our Acti-V® grade release liner, as one example.
What do you like to do in your free time to relax?
With two children under ten years old, my free time is dedicated to family, whether it involves traveling, playing sports, or participating in social events. These activities may not be “relaxing,” but they are entertaining and fun.
This article is part of a series that showcases Ahlstrom’s visionary experts, the minds behind our cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions.