Europe needed all its bright minds in these troubled times, and seeing how promptly they came up with great ideas is astonishing. The University of Malta for instance, devised a prototype unit to disinfect respirators. “The machines are relatively simple to build, low-cost and can be quickly built in large numbers,” Marc explains.
In a suffering Italy, hospitals received much appreciated help from Nader and his 3D-printing start-up. The team turned snorkelling masks into PAP masks and delivered these, along with face shields, across the country.
Help also came in Ireland, where Patrick had been distilling whiskey and gin. “When we learned that sanitizers were out of stock in the Northwest of Ireland, we shifted our production. We supplied sanitizers to pharmacies, medics, shops and charities,” he recalls.
Thanks to all these efforts, the EU can focus on the production of vaccines and preparedness for future outbreaks, to which it has dedicated a total of EUR 314 million.