Vale Covid-19 Challenge selects 11 projects that will benefit 500,000 people

Vale, an associate company of Aberje, announced the 11 projects awarded by the Vale Covid-19 Challenge, made in partnership with Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and the Mater Dei Health Network. The challenge was created to support solutions that reduce the impacts of the new coronavirus on society and will benefit approximately 500,000 people in 12 cities in Brazil and Canada. Vale’s total investment will reach nearly 1 million USD.

All contemplated partners will donate part of the material produced or the service offered to healthcare institutions in states with a large number of cases, such as Rio de Janeiro, Ceara, and Sao Paulo, among others. Altogether 100 hospitals should benefit.

In all, 1,452 solutions were registered in Brazil and 319 in Canada. They fall into the categories of risk monitoring and prevention, patient monitoring and follow-up and open challenge. In Brazil, there were also the categories of screening and diagnosis and intensive care. Among the solutions chosen are from the manufacture of products that are lacking in health units, such as PCR test kits, face shields, or sanitizers, to psychological call center services, for example. “The solutions were selected due to the stage of maturity and production capacity of the companies that submitted the proposals,” said Marcos Calderon, from Vale’s open innovation team. “They are a sample of how we can contribute to society by creating a positive impact, going beyond taxes and social projects, and becoming an accelerator of the entire innovation ecosystem.”

Complete list of selected solutions

Brazil

Compass 3D (MG): Production of face shields (protective masks that work as a shield for healthcare professionals) in industrial 3D printers. The support will increase production capacity fourfold. More than 2,000 units will be donated to the public sector.

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro: Manufacture of six ethanol purification systems for the production of 70% alcohol, which will be donated to partner institutions. The entire volume produced from these kits (96,000 liters) will be distributed to more than 20 hospitals.

BioLambda (SP): Production of equipment for disinfecting masks and recirculating ambient air for use in hospitals. The support will increase production capacity by 15 times. 25 disinfection equipment and ten air recirculation equipment will be donated to public health units.

OrienteMe (SP): Psychological call center platform that has the option of video or message call via application. 30,000 calls will be made free of charge.

Neoprospecta (SC): Development of a mass testing solution that allows the evaluation of several people simultaneously. Similar to the standard PCR test, this method will enable testing 16 people at the same time. The support will increase production capacity by 40%. 24,000 people will be tested for free.

Delfino (MG): Production of face shields. More than 40,000 units will be donated to the public sector.

Federal University of Amazonas: Production of face shields and sanitizers. 6,000 face shields will be donated to public hospitals.

Federal Institute of Ceará: Production of face shields. More than 5,000 units will be donated to the public sector.

FaceShield4Life (BA): Production of face shields and acrylic boxes for use by healthcare professionals. 20,000 face shields and 100 boxes will be donated to public hospitals.

Canada

First Team 1305: Production of sterilizing boxes with ultraviolet with DIY technology and distribution of the solution’s open-sourcing for four weeks. Fifty boxes will be donated.

Flosonics: Production of single-use, wireless, wearable hemodynamic monitors that provide physicians with simple access to information about patients’ cardiovascular status. Ninety pieces of this equipment will be donated to hospitals.