Last January, Elisabetta Poli assumed the role of R&D Director at the Isoclima Group—a position that, following more than 30 years of experience, allows her to fully express her qualities and evolutionary drive towards the constant pursuit of perfection in every detail. She is now responsible for managing a team of 23 people, including Innovation Technologists, R&D Engineers, Laboratory Analysts, Designer Engineers, Technical Managers, and Designers, with whom she leads numerous ambitious projects.

“An R&D Director must oversee the strategy for technological leadership, continuous scientific research, efficient operational management, and must maintain a constant focus on innovation and achieving corporate objectives,” says Elisabetta during her interview. Being careful in outlining an appropriate strategy and planning, in her field, has a direct and exponential impact on the group’s long-term goals. Good development and investment planning in research and innovation increasingly translate into a critical factor for competitiveness and success for clients. In line with this awareness, her approach is proactive and future-oriented, a characteristic that allows her to stay open to embracing new opportunities, whether in terms of collaborations or emerging technologies.

When asked about the key elements that define her role, Elisabetta places continuous innovation first, describing it as the central element that fuels all other aspects, including: strategic alignment, resource optimization, talent development, external partnerships and collaborations, change culture, and economic value. “For an R&D Director, innovating means developing new technological solutions that maximize efficiency in production processes, enabling a quick response to increasingly demanding market requirements, while remaining pioneers and ensuring competitiveness.”

“Through targeted management of people, budgets, and timelines, I ensure that each project delivers maximum impact, combining efficiency, quality, and an innovative spirit,” Elisabetta shares. “I am committed to creating an inspiring environment for my team, aiming to achieve the best results together, providing resources for their training and growth so that we can outperform ourselves and attract new talents.” However, her vision also extends beyond Isoclima’s boundaries, forging agreements and partnerships with universities, research institutes, and other companies to accelerate the development of new solutions. In this way, Elisabetta actively promotes a corporate culture that encourages adaptability to change, considering it an essential soft skill for long-term success.

Thanks to a collaborative approach and appropriate risk management, her work directly generates economic value for the company by developing new products, improving processes, and finding innovative solutions to increase profitability.

Looking towards the future, she shares some interesting perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that Isoclima will need to address and seize in the coming years. In particular, her attention focuses on two major themes: Technology and Sustainability, which she defines as a paradox for companies because, while they offer opportunities for growth, they also require significant financial investment, time, and well-prepared resources.

“Technology is evolving very rapidly, and the company will once again be ready to lead the future of high-tech transparent solutions. Sustainability also represents a major challenge for companies, which are increasingly under pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices and develop solutions that reduce environmental impact,” she continues. “Today more than ever, our commitment is aimed at researching and developing more sustainable materials and production processes, such as recycled glass and reduced energy consumption, while investing in renewable energy and circular economy solutions that can improve material recycling.”

In a constantly evolving market, where the demand for increasingly high-performance solutions intersects with the need for efficiency and sustainability, Elisabetta Poli identifies several key elements for Isoclima’s future technological success. One of the central factors is weight reduction, a strategic objective that drives the development of materials that are increasingly lightweight yet highly durable, capable of delivering top-level performance without compromising safety or longevity. This aspect is particularly critical in sectors such as aerospace and automotive, where weight savings directly translate into greater efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and improved environmental performance.

Alongside this, another key driver is the research and implementation of electrochromic technologies that are becoming more versatile and applicable across a range of sectors. The evolution of these systems, which can modulate glass transparency based on light and heat, is opening up new opportunities by addressing needs for comfort, energy efficiency, and advanced design. The key, Elisabetta emphasizes, is the seamless integration of these technologies into clients’ projects, turning innovative solutions into true competitive advantages.

It is precisely the cross-disciplinary nature of the team’s expertise, combined with the ability to anticipate market needs, that enables Isoclima’s R&D department to maintain its strong impact and relevance.

With a clear and determined vision, Elisabetta Poli today represents a key figure in Isoclima’s evolutionary journey, competently and passionately leading such a strategic department as Research & Development. Her integrated approach, combining scientific rigor, attention to people, and openness to innovation, allows the group to confidently face market transformations while keeping excellence standards high.

Her ability to grasp the connections between technology, sustainability, and economic performance makes her contribution particularly valuable at a time when change is the only constant. Looking to the future, Elisabetta embodies the kind of conscious, progress-oriented leadership that will be essential in tackling the major challenges facing the industry: from the adoption of increasingly advanced technologies to the need for circular, low-impact production models. Her determination to turn challenges into opportunities makes her not only a technical leader but also a promoter of culture and innovation, capable of inspiring change and guiding Isoclima towards ever more ambitious goals.