Our team

Ernesto Cattaneo

STARA GLASS: Concept design / head of computing and innovation projects

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Project coordinator

Mechanical engineer with an about 15 year experience in the glass field and expert in environment protection technologies. Through the years, he has been involved in and managing many innovation projects, including LIFE Prime Glass, and PO FESR “Energy and ambient optimization of the glass production process”. Author of numerous publications and well-known glass furnace scientist and innovative technologies disseminator, he is also specialized in field activities like heat balance detection and combustion optimization. Author of the FurnaceMaster software, he is responsible for Stara Glass computing and simulation ambient and he manages Stara Glass patents.

Simone Ferraro

STARA GLASS: Technical director

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Design and construction manager

In Stara Glass since April 2019, after 20 years of experience in Saint-Gobain Vetri and Verallia as Batch and Furnace Manager for all the Italian plants.
Highly skilled in coordination of design, construction, maintenance furnaces and forehearths and in the melting process from raw material to finished product.

Walter Battaglia

SSV: Head of the Environmental department of SSV

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Project manager for SSV

Master degree in Chemistry, head of the Environmental department of SSV, deeply involved in the LIFE PRIME Glass Project on-site testing and dissemination activities. He has decades of experience in the emissions sampling and characterization field, and is the main developer of the Multipoint Continuous Monitoring method for the complete characterization of glass melting furnaces’ operating parameters. He is also the vice-chairman of ICG TC13, an international technical committee dealing with the issue regarding gaseous emissions from glass melting furnaces.

Simone Tiozzo

SSV: R&D Senior Project Manager

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Communication and Dissemination Manager for SSV

Materials Engineer, member of SSV’s R&D department since 2011; at present SSV’s R&D Senior Project Manager, deeply involved in the LIFE PRIME Glass Project’s on-site testing and dissemination activities. He is involved in several projects and activities in the fields of energy efficiency, energy auditing, benchmarking of CO₂ and energy consumption, etc. He has delivered a number of lectures at European and International level Conferences (ICG, ESG, DGG, Glass Problems, USTV), is in charge of SSV’s technical training courses for hollow glass users, and is chief editor of SSV’s website.

Andrew Steele

JOHNSON MATTHEY: Principal Scientist

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT:

Principal Scientist who has been working at the corporate R&D centre since 2000. His background is in catalyst science and reactor engineering; with a particular interest in fuel reforming and utilisation of renewable energy. He has extensive experience in Project Management including the following EU projects: Hydrosol 1 (FP 5), Hydrosol 2 Greensyngas (FP 6), Fastcard (FP7-604277)(FP 6) and Flexchx H2020-763919.
He was a laureate for the 2006 Descartes Prize for Collaborative Scientific Research for Hydrosol 1.

Ben Rollins

Johnson Matthey: Research Scientist

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT:

Research Scientist at Johnson Matthey Technology Centre with a background in chemistry. He has previously worked several externally funded projects including other EU-funded projects in the area of heterogeneous catalysis such as MEMERE (H2020-679933) and Flexchx (H2020-763919). His areas of interest include reforming, renewable energy and sustainable technology.

Daniela Messina

Stara Glass: Head of technical office

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Design manager

More than 25 years in Furnace and Forehearths design experience gained in one of the main glass producers groups and in companies for the design of glass furnaces. In Stara Glass since 2019. Highly skilled in the design of complete furnaces and forehearths for the glass industry, including refractories and steelworks. Expert in greenfield and turnkey projects developed worldwide. Expert in developing feasibility studies.

Alessandro Mola

Stara Glass: head of innovation

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Scientific Coordinator

Mola has been in the forefront of innovation in glass production for four decades. He has been leading Stara Glass R&D&I department for more than ten years, he started our modelling and heat balance activities and signed our most important patents.

Giorgio Minestrini

STARA GLASS: INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY LEADER

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Dissemination manager

Born in Genova in 1983, naval engineer, he has been working for almost a decade in glass industry, dealing with mathematical modelling, computing, design, special & innovative technologies design, installation and operation. He is a heat balance detection and computing specialist. Author of numerous technical papers, winner of the Michael Gravey award 2018 with a paper about the Prime Glass project, speaker at many scientific conferences . Expert project manager, also involved in customer support and dissemination activities. Responsible for internal training in the company and the external one in the University.

Alessandro Spoladore

SGR Pro: R&D engineer

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Project engineer, test activities

Marina Markova

SGR Pro: R&D and Project engineer

LIFE SUGAR PROJECT: Project engineer and PM assistant

R&D engineer, specialist in environmental protection technologies with background experience in different industrial sectors. She has been working in SGR PRO since 2017 and from the beginning has been taking part of Stara Glass team in different functional areas and missions: from R&D activities to management of executive projects, providing support to commercial department, purchasing and logistics. Always motivated by professional development with a special focus on target to achieve high quality performance, to meet Client’s and company requirements and customer satisfaction.