Quick Facts
Biography
Fernando Fischmann is a Chile a scientist, businessman, biochemist, and real estate developer, whose project is the Crystal Lagoons innovation.
Biography
Fernando Fischmann was born in Santiago. He attended the Grange School in Santiago and then the University of Chile, earning a graduate degree in biochemistry. He collaborated in the campaign of Hernán Büchi, for the 1989 Chilean presidential election. He entered the estate agency business. He began to invest in property, and in 1986 bought 60 hectares of land at the port of Algarrobo, on the coast of central Chile, with the plan to develop a holiday resort, now known as San Alfonso del Mar, around an artificial crystalline lagoon. This led him to develop a new process for maintaining the purity and clarity of the water in large volumes and low costs. The lagoon opened in December 2006.
In 2016, he won The Stevie Award in its two categories: Innovator of the Year, for his sustainable vision for water usage, and Innovation of the Year, for his water desalination technology that uses no energy. In addition, the London Business School nominated Fischmann for its 2017 international innovation contest, the "Real Innovation Award"
Fischmann is one of the directors of Chilean Fraunhofer institute.In addition, he is director of the North America Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), and is a member of the advisory council of the business network Endeavor (non-profit).
Crystal Lagoons
Crystal Lagoons is an American biochemical and water services company founded by Fernando Fischmann in 2009.
Fischmann attributes an idea he had for a real estate complex on the central coast of Chile, San Alfonso del Mar, as the main inspiration behind the creation of the Crystal Lagoons technology. The adverse conditions of this part of the Chilean coast inspire him to create an artificial lagoon that can offer all that possible activities without any risk; however, there was not a technology that allows big bodies of water to maintain clear crystalline conditions.
Estimates such as The Boston Consulting Group evaluated in 2008 company's worth at US$1.8 billion after a year and a half in operation.