Textile, food, automobile and cosmetic companies have been manufacturing masks, respirators, disinfectant, hand sanitiser and all kinds of medical equipment for weeks

 

The Spanish business and industrial world are pulling out all the stops to respond to the current health crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. In the midst of the enormous economic difficulties that have been caused by Covid-19, they are changing their production lines to contribute to and mitigate the effects of the disease on our health system and our society, alongside manufacturers working with the government to provide the necessary medical equipment.

 

The great deployment of the textile industry

 

It is one of the major economic sectors in Spain and was also one of the first to respond to the government’s call for equipment to combat Covid-19. On 18 March, a few days after the state of emergency came into effect, the giant textile company Inditex offered the health authorities its facilities, services and commercial management resources, which translated into an initial donation of 300,000 masks and gloves being sent from China, as well as committing to begin manufacturing protective gowns. The multinational has managed to bring to Spain, through its transport network, more than 35 million units of protective gear including those coming from public, private and their own contributions, as reported on April 3rd. In addition to providing medical equipment, the textile sector’s greatest support comes from its logistic networks: distribution companies previously destined to delivering clothing collections to stores now transport much needed medical equipment.

Another Spanish textile giant, Mango, from 8 April also began manufacturing 13,000 protective gowns, a new large scale production line adding to its contributions since the beginning of the crisis. Among them, the donation of 2 million masks to the Ministry of Health. The employees of Pronovias, for their part have also voluntarily sewn 2,000 masks for hospitals; and the children’s clothing firm Mayoral manufactures special individual protection suits, gloves and masks. In addition to these companies, there are smaller ones, like Textil Santanderina, which is manufacturing 8,000 masks a day; the Callaghan footwear company (La Rioja); and Bayto Textil (Huelva), which usually makes ham covers and is now making polyester masks. In total, according to Moda España (an entity that represents the Spanish textile industry), about a thousand companies have responded to the government’s call.

 

The perfume, cosmetic, chemical and alcohol industry now produce disinfectants

 

Companies from sectors as diverse as alcohol, cosmetics and the chemical industry have changed their production lines to alleviate the deficit of hand sanitiser and disinfectants, whose anti-viral and anti-bacterial function maintains the recommended hygienic measures to avoid contagion.

One of the first was the Arehucas rum company in Gran Canaria, which has stopped distilling rum to produce alcohol for sanitary use. The Pernod Ricard España group (Ruavieja, Beefeater, Seagram’s, etc.) has also focused on manufacturing hand sanitiser; like Bacardi, which has put a large part of its distilleries into producing ethanol for hand sanitisers. The wine company González Byass, has also made available to the authorities all its manufacturing and supply plants.

 

The cosmetic industries such as the German group Nivea, through its Spanish manufacturing plant, the multinational L’Oréal, and the cologne manufacturer Puig have also joined the cause to help out. The company Cantabria Labs manufactures 15,000 bottles of hand sanitiser daily and supplies them to the IFEMA field hospital, among others. Roughly 50 companies, including large perfume and cosmetics groups and small manufacturers, have already produced several million litres of gel.

The National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics (Stanpa) is also working with the Chemical Industry Business Federation (FEIQUE), a sector that has also been doubling its production capacity for weeks in order to respond to the high demand for this type of product.

 

The car and energy industries

 

Two of the largest car manufacturing plants in Spain, Seat in Barcelona and Renault in Valladolid, have mobilised their companies to respond to the health needs of this crisis. Seat, together with the firm Protofy.XYZ, have prepared their plant to assemble respirators, which were tested with success in the Hospital Clínic and the Germans Trias i Pujol. Renault workers organised “Renault to the Rescue” to manufacture medical equipment using 3D printers provided by the company.

Another car factory, Grupo Antolín, is producing some 4,000 protective gowns per day with materials normally used for covering vehicle roofs, as well as manufacturing protective screens using the 3D printers.

The steel company ArcelorMittal, through its R&D team in Asturias, have designed protective visors and goggles, as well as helmets to apply pressure to the airways. Its engineers are also immersed in software projects for life support systems and computer development for hospitals. Like the launch of the ‘Coronavirus Makers’ group via Internet, with fans of 3D printing coordinating themselves to produce protective medical equipment. Production using 3D printers in which the naval and civil construction company Navantia in Cadiz has also participated.

The energy sector is also joining in. Iberdrola has closed the purchase of 450 pieces of breathing equipment, 4.6 million masks, 120,000 units of protective gear and 20,000 pairs of protective goggles through four major contracts with Chinese companies.

The effort and adaptation of these companies and so many others whose workers are dedicated to tackling the coronavirus is, without doubt, worthy of admiration.