Darius joined SABEU on January 1, 2026, as Specialist Membrane Development. As a polymer chemist, he focuses on improving and further developing our membrane processes and coating systems. He also supports various departments, including production, sales and quality assurance.
We spoke with Darius about how he found his way into membrane development, his experience at SABEU so far and the goals he would like to achieve over the coming months.
What originally inspired you to pursue a career in membranes and membrane development?
It was actually more of a coincidence. At first, I found membranes rather boring. After completing my PhD, I had the opportunity to join Sartorius directly in membrane development.
Looking back, I am very glad things worked out that way because membrane development is actually a very exciting field, with a lot happening at the moment. Especially when it comes to coatings, my background as a polymer chemist gives me many opportunities to experiment and specifically modify the properties of membranes.
You work as Specialist Membrane Development – how would you explain what you do to someone who has never worked with membranes before?
My work at SABEU is very diverse. Whenever membranes are involved, I usually get involved as well – whether it is supporting sales, production or quality assurance. My main focus, however, is on improving and further developing our membrane processes.
One major topic is the transition from individual process steps to continuous processes. And then there is also a little bit of “witchcraft”: In initial lab trials, I combine different chemicals to develop new coating systems for our membranes. If the results are promising, we then test them on our production equipment.
What milestones would you like to achieve over the next 12 months?
Over the next twelve months, one of my main goals is to help build a strong development department here in Northeim. I would like to use the momentum created by the plant relocation while maintaining the good exchange and cooperation between the different departments.
I would also be very pleased if, in about a year from now, we could welcome our first apprentice in chemical production. This could create an exciting link between development, production and quality assurance.
From a technical perspective, I would particularly like to drive the topic of PFAS-free coatings forward. I believe this is not only very important from an environmental point of view, but also offers a great opportunity for SABEU to further strengthen its position in the market and open up new potential.
What do you particularly appreciate about your work and the team at SABEU so far?
What I particularly appreciate are the short decision-making processes and the certain start-up feeling. Both in production and development, as well as at management level, SABEU is able to react very quickly. This makes the work more dynamic compared to many larger companies.
Another advantage is our close relationship with customers, which allows us to work very specifically on their challenges. Due to the current plant relocation, I also have the opportunity to actively shape many things myself. The combination of all these aspects makes the work very enjoyable.
What do you do to clear your head after a day at work?
A day without sports is quite rare for me. After work, you will usually find me either playing football or at the gym.
Mitarbeiterinterview (Teil 16) - Emre Demirkan >
