More than 950,000 jobs that have practically volatilized overnight. A figure of unemployment that already rises to 3.8 million people. At least four million workers affected by a Temporary Employment Regulation File (ERTE) and with the fear that in the coming months all of this will translate into massive layoffs and bankruptcy. These are some of the chilling data that reflects the economic crisis unleashed in Spain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the recession that SARS-CoV-2 has brought can also be in some cases a business opportunity for some companies . The proof is that, in these moments of uncertainty in which many decide to retract sails, several Spanish companies are however betting on developing cutting-edge technologies at European level to face the virus that has brought the entire world to its knees.

Just take a look at Secpho , one of the most important deep tech clusters in Spain to get an idea of ​​what is going on. Secpho, which is basically a group of interrelated entities that work in the scientific and technological innovations sector and that collaborate strategically to generate new opportunities, gathers around 150 entities: from large companies, startups , technology centers, university research groups ... To get an idea, under the Secpho umbrella are companies that are directly involved in the manufacture of technologies that are already operating on Mars.

Now many of those Spanish companies are putting all their talent, energy, and capabilities into searching for remedies to help tackle the pandemic and curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus . The projects in which they are entangled range from robots that allow monitoring the condition of a patient without the health personnel having contact with him at first, to leading methods of disinfection of spaces using ultraviolet light, to systems that allow the reuse of the masks.

Come and see ...

E-LEDMOTIVE; LIGHT THAT ALLOWS DISINFECTION OF STORES AND HOSPITALS

It is a company specialized in multispectral lighting that has already carried out installations for museums (such as The National Gallery in London), for some hospitals (for example, the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, the Hospital Clínic, the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona), for various offices and for work rooms.

In recent weeks, however, this company has been devoting a large part of its resources to developing a product that serves to disinfect spaces such as shops or public spaces, which are reopening as the de-escalation phases progress, as well as new hospitals.

Its disinfectant solution combines three different lighting concepts: UV-C lighting, violet lighting and multispectral lighting.

AMS TECHNOLOGIES; ACHIEVE SURFACES THAT ARE ABLE TO REPEL BACTERIA

Under that name, AMS Technologies is a leading provider and distributor of high-tech solutions, components, systems and cutting-edge equipment, with almost 30 years of experience behind it.

AMS photo: pulsed fiber lasers to provide surfaces with hydrophobic properties, properties that prevent the deposition of bacteria and the formation of biofilm.

With the coronavirus pandemic at AMS Technologies the batteries have been put in and, now that we are progressing in the de-escalation towards the "new normal", they have germicidal UV-C lamps that emit at 222 nm and lasers capable of changing the properties of surfaces of the materials to get them to be water repellent, something that helps prevent the deposition of bacteria and the formation of biofilm.

EURECAT: HYGIENE TO EXTEND THE LIFETIME OF THE MASKS

The Eurecat technology center has successfully tested in its laboratories in Manresa the operation of a system developed by the company E. Vila Projects for the disinfection of FFP2 and FFP3 masks, which offer the highest level of protection against Covid-19 , and thus make it possible to reuse it safely.

Disinfection of the masks so that they can be reused is carried out using specific infrared and ultraviolet radiation technology. The test carried out at Eurecat consisted of testing the disinfection system with the Escericchia Coli bacteria , which according to scientific studies carried out is more resistant to these treatments than Sars-CoV-2 itself, in order to verify the effectiveness of the mask disinfection system.

ÁLAVA INGENIEROS: CLEAN AIR TO COME BACK TO THE OFFICE SAFELY

This high-tech company born in 1973 is working on various solutions to combat Sars-CoV-2 in all kinds of environments and using different technologies: from cameras and thermographic systems to measure the body temperature of people to air purifiers to maintain a work environment free of particles, including those that trigger the spread of Covid-19.

In addition, this Alava company also works with other leading technologies such as spectroscopy, which could be used as a powerful new tool for automated clinical and laboratory analysis of viruses and bacteria.

BCB: A SOUND OR VISUAL ALARM IF THERE IS A RISE IN TEMPERATURE

-Photo MTS Technologies: robot that the company has developed to be able to disinfect the coronavirus using ultraviolet light technology. It is a robot that can move autonomously through any space while cleaning.

This Spanish technological engineering company, with a presence in Spain, Portugal and Mexico, is specialized in thermographic monitoring systems . It has developed software that, combined with a thermal imager, is capable of generating visual and / or audible alarms if a previously established temperature threshold is exceeded. The development of this software, dubbed bcbTempScan, has been led by the team led by design and research engineer Alejandro Kurtz de Griñó to help in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases.

CTRL4 ENVIRO: CHAMBERS TO CONTROL SESSIONS AND SOCIAL DISTANCE

This company is specialized in offering mobility solutions. Its MDS (Social Distance Monitor) product is a system capable of anonymously analyzing the images already available from CCTV cameras located in spaces for public use to warn their managers, directly users or even authorities, of the level maintenance of social distance, the use of face masks when appropriate, the occupancy density or being able to control the capacity of a room, terrace, transport station ... In addition to these benefits, this technology is capable of of remote and non-invasive detection of the existence of fever.

HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS: PHOTONIC SENSORS FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS PCR

This company is dedicated to designing and manufacturing photonic components, that is, components that react to changes in light . His current projects are aimed at responding to the needs and challenges that the coronavirus is posing to different sectors: from sensors for medical equipment -such as PCR tests that detect and quantify the virus- to sensors that allow you to count how many people are in a room determined and calculate the distance they are keeping between them.

NÜTECH RESEARCH: CONTROLLING LARGE WORKSPACES OR OUTDOOR

Of Canadian origin but with an office in Barcelona, ​​NüTech Research is a start-up specialized in applied research and experimental development projects related mainly to electromagnetic sensors.

Now, in the midst of the coronavirus health crisis, this firm offers the market a technology focused on maintaining social distance, including work areas located within large open or open industrial spaces.

ROBOTNIKROBOTS: TO AVOID CONTACTS TO THE HEALTH PERSONNEL

Specialized in designing, manufacturing and marketing products and systems based on robotic technology, this company is currently participating in ENDORSE, a European project for the development of robotic products for use in health centers.

-Photo Robotnik: it is a mobile robot that would allow the status of a Covid-19 patient to be checked remotely, thus avoiding the risk of contagion to the health workers.

Robotnik has developed within this project a mobile robot that allows to check the status of a patient remotely, without the health personnel having direct contact with the patient. It is a technology that offers a solution to a highly topical problem: contagion by coronavirus from healthcare personnel, which in Spain has already affected more than 51,000 professionals in the health sector.

With the robots developed by Robotnik, the health workers would not have direct contact with the patients at first, and they could also take the necessary protective measures if it was detected that there is a risk of infection.

Robotnik invoices 4 million euros, has 45 employees and, in addition to Spain, the company also has a presence in the main international markets: Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, the United States, France, Germany and Italy.

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