this is us
meet the flasc team
The FLASC community is home to not only enviroment enthusiasts,
we’re also group of technologists, engineers and designers to create a better future.
Founding Members
Daniel Buhagiar
Co-Founder / CEO
Daniel Buhagiar holds a Ph.D. in offshore renewable energy from the University of Malta, during which he developed the FLASC storage technology. Before co-founding FLASC, he worked on product development in the automotive battery sector. At FLASC, Daniel leads the commercialisation of the technology, and manages collaborations with key stakeholders across a range of applications.
Co-Founder / CEO
Daniel Buhagiar holds a Ph.D. in offshore renewable energy from the University of Malta, during which he developed the FLASC storage technology. Before co-founding FLASC, he worked on product development in the automotive battery sector. At FLASC, Daniel leads the commercialisation of the technology, and manages collaborations with key stakeholders across a range of applications.
Tonio Sant
Co-Founder / CTO
Tonio Sant holds a Ph.D. in Wind Energy from TUDelft. He is a Full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta. He has over 20 years experience in the renewables sector and has contributed to over 140 peer-reviewed publications in the field. Tonio is a co-inventor of the solution and leads the technical development, including several publicly-funded projects.
Co-Founder / CTO
Tonio Sant holds a Ph.D. in Wind Energy from TUDelft. He is a Full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta. He has over 20 years experience in the renewables sector and has contributed to over 140 peer-reviewed publications in the field. Tonio is a co-inventor of the solution and leads the technical development, including several publicly-funded projects.
Robert Farrugia
Co-Founder / R&D Specialist
Robert Farrugia holds a Ph.D. in wind measurement and flow modelling from the University of Malta. He is a resident academic at the University of Malta with over 25 years experience in wind measurement and data analysis. Within the FLASC team, Robert co-ordinates early-stage R&D studies such as ongoing research on integration of FLASC storage in green hydrogen applications.
Co-Founder / R&D Specialist
Robert Farrugia holds a Ph.D. in wind measurement and flow modelling from the University of Malta. He is a resident academic at the University of Malta with over 25 years experience in wind measurement and data analysis. Within the FLASC team, Robert co-ordinates early-stage R&D studies such as ongoing research on integration of FLASC storage in green hydrogen applications.
Delft Office
Daniel Baldacchino
Principal Engineer
(Hydraulic Systems)
Daniel Baldacchino holds a PhD from TUDelft in wind turbine aerodynamics. He has a strong technical background, working in large corporates and start-ups across a range of applications, from industrial hydraulics to innovative offshore wind concepts. At FLASC, Daniel is a principal engineer with a focus on hydraulic systems and mechanical aspects, working closely with partners and stakeholders.
Principal Engineer
(Hydraulic Systems)
Daniel Baldacchino holds a PhD from TUDelft in wind turbine aerodynamics. He has a strong technical background, working in large corporates and start-ups across a range of applications, from industrial hydraulics to innovative offshore wind concepts. At FLASC, Daniel is a principal engineer with a focus on hydraulic systems and mechanical aspects, working closely with partners and stakeholders.
Adrian-Ionut Singuran
Principal Engineer
(Electrical Power & Control) Adrian-Ionut Singuran is an electro-technical engineer with an MSc from TUDelft. He has delivered solutons within the R&D department of a leading marine contractor, all the way to offshore deployment. At FLASC, Adrian is a principal engineer with a focus on electrical power and control, he has also developed numerical tools to model market participation and evaluate storage business cases.
Principal Engineer
(Electrical Power & Control) Adrian-Ionut Singuran is an electro-technical engineer with an MSc from TUDelft. He has delivered solutons within the R&D department of a leading marine contractor, all the way to offshore deployment. At FLASC, Adrian is a principal engineer with a focus on electrical power and control, he has also developed numerical tools to model market participation and evaluate storage business cases.
Join our Team!
Our Delft Office is Growing
We are always on the lookout for new talent and regularly post open vacancies on our Linked-In page.
Our Delft Office is Growing
We are always on the lookout for new talent and regularly post open vacancies on our Linked-In page.
R&D Team - University of Malta
Luke Aquilina
Research Support Officer II
Luke Aquilina is a mechanical engineer currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta, where he is working on the first grid-connected ECU as part of an EU-funded project (MUSICA). He has also worked on the FLASC technology during both his B.Eng. and M.Sc. studies. Luke has also worked in the automotive industry, covering automation and assembly line setup.
Research Support Officer II
Luke Aquilina is a mechanical engineer currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta, where he is working on the first grid-connected ECU as part of an EU-funded project (MUSICA). He has also worked on the FLASC technology during both his B.Eng. and M.Sc. studies. Luke has also worked in the automotive industry, covering automation and assembly line setup.
Andrew Borg
Research Support Officer II
Andrew Borg is currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta and holds a Master's Degree in Offshore Engineering from the University of Southampton. Andrew is developing numerical models to analyse hydraulic machinery aimed at reducing power intermittency issues associated with offshore renewables. He is also working on machine learning techniques to optimise system behaviour.
Research Support Officer II
Andrew Borg is currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta and holds a Master's Degree in Offshore Engineering from the University of Southampton. Andrew is developing numerical models to analyse hydraulic machinery aimed at reducing power intermittency issues associated with offshore renewables. He is also working on machine learning techniques to optimise system behaviour.
Charise Cutajar
Research Support Officer II
Charise Cutajar is currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta. She has over 5 years of experience in R&D, specialising in offshore energy storage. Charise also has industrial experience in project management, risk assessments, and safety and compliance auditing in the aviation sector. She is involved in several multi-disciplinary projects related to the FLASC technology.
Research Support Officer II
Charise Cutajar is currently reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Malta. She has over 5 years of experience in R&D, specialising in offshore energy storage. Charise also has industrial experience in project management, risk assessments, and safety and compliance auditing in the aviation sector. She is involved in several multi-disciplinary projects related to the FLASC technology.
Oleksii Pirotti
Research Support Officer III
Oleksii Pirotti holds a Ph.D. from the National Technical University (Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute) in Ukraine, where he is also engaged as an Associate Professor. He is currently undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of Malta with a focus on applying the FLASC technology to green hydrogen production from offshore wind and storage in the central Mediterranean.
Research Support Officer III
Oleksii Pirotti holds a Ph.D. from the National Technical University (Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute) in Ukraine, where he is also engaged as an Associate Professor. He is currently undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of Malta with a focus on applying the FLASC technology to green hydrogen production from offshore wind and storage in the central Mediterranean.
Diane Scicluna
Research Support Officer II
(Part Time)
Diane Scicluna holds an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Malta. Diane works in industry while ungaged as a part-time researcher at the University of Malta, where she is working on green hydrogen production from offshore wind and storage with a focus on the FLASC technology.
Research Support Officer II
(Part Time)
Diane Scicluna holds an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Malta. Diane works in industry while ungaged as a part-time researcher at the University of Malta, where she is working on green hydrogen production from offshore wind and storage with a focus on the FLASC technology.
University of Malta
Research & Development Collaboration
FLASC is a spin-off from the University of Malta and maintains a collaboration with technical teams at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, covering a range of research and development projects related to the FLASC technology and its applications.
Research & Development Collaboration
FLASC is a spin-off from the University of Malta and maintains a collaboration with technical teams at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, covering a range of research and development projects related to the FLASC technology and its applications.
Company Advisors
Martin van Onna
CEO - Strohm
Martin van Onna co-founded Strohm in 2007 and is presently the CEO. A pioneer of the disruptive Thermoplastic Composite Pipe technology, Martin developed Strohm from a business unit to an independent firm, and has a wealth of experience in bringing offshore innovations to the acceptance of the market, while creating a breakthrough business undergoing rapid growth. Martin is also enthusiastic about sharing this knowledge by coaching start-ups in the renewable energy space.
CEO - Strohm
Martin van Onna co-founded Strohm in 2007 and is presently the CEO. A pioneer of the disruptive Thermoplastic Composite Pipe technology, Martin developed Strohm from a business unit to an independent firm, and has a wealth of experience in bringing offshore innovations to the acceptance of the market, while creating a breakthrough business undergoing rapid growth. Martin is also enthusiastic about sharing this knowledge by coaching start-ups in the renewable energy space.
Kees Willemse
Independent Advisor
Kees Willemse was professor of Offshore Engineering at TU Delft and business director energy at TNO before concentrating on the support of start-ups and scale ups in the energy sector. During his career in The Netherlands and abroad (as CEO of Royal Haskoning Asia) he was involved with many innovations in the maritime and energy sector and the combination of an engineering degree with an MBA makes him well-positioned to support young companies with their early development.
Independent Advisor
Kees Willemse was professor of Offshore Engineering at TU Delft and business director energy at TNO before concentrating on the support of start-ups and scale ups in the energy sector. During his career in The Netherlands and abroad (as CEO of Royal Haskoning Asia) he was involved with many innovations in the maritime and energy sector and the combination of an engineering degree with an MBA makes him well-positioned to support young companies with their early development.
Paul Chang
Technical Specialist
(Subsea Engineering)
Paul Chang has 40 years of experience in the marine and subsea field, with extensive knowledge in the development and deployment of subsea systems. With a deep understanding of offshore technologies, as well as the business and operational needs of energy operators, Paul enables identification of existing solutions and facilitates the successful evolution of subsea technologies to meet renewable applications.
Technical Specialist
(Subsea Engineering)
Paul Chang has 40 years of experience in the marine and subsea field, with extensive knowledge in the development and deployment of subsea systems. With a deep understanding of offshore technologies, as well as the business and operational needs of energy operators, Paul enables identification of existing solutions and facilitates the successful evolution of subsea technologies to meet renewable applications.
Jessica Settino
Technical Speclialist
(Green Hydrogen)
Jessica Settino holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calabria. She worked at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and at the University of Malta. Currently, she is a research fellow at the University of Calabria. Jessica has a wealth of experience in modelling of energy systems, including green hydrogen production from wind. Jessica supports FLASC on hydrogen-related innovation development.
Technical Speclialist
(Green Hydrogen)
Jessica Settino holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calabria. She worked at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and at the University of Malta. Currently, she is a research fellow at the University of Calabria. Jessica has a wealth of experience in modelling of energy systems, including green hydrogen production from wind. Jessica supports FLASC on hydrogen-related innovation development.
Buccaneer Delft
Energy & Offshore Accelerator
FLASC is part of the Buccaneer Delft Accelerator founded by Joop Roodenburg (Huisman Equipment B.V.) The accelerator network provides mentors, advisors and an extensive industrial partner network.
Energy & Offshore Accelerator
FLASC is part of the Buccaneer Delft Accelerator founded by Joop Roodenburg (Huisman Equipment B.V.) The accelerator network provides mentors, advisors and an extensive industrial partner network.
