Background information

From the start of the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that the health system would face a major challenge, namely due to the lack of clinical ventilators in the hospitals.

CEiiA is a Centre which develops, implements and operates technological solutions to push innovation in aeronautics, mobility, naval/offshore and automotive. With COVID-19 pandemic, CEiiA has reoriented its know-how, in close cooperation with a specialised medical team, in order to create the first Portuguese clinical ventilator to be used in the hospitals' intensive care units.

Content of measure

CEiiA is a Centre which develops, implements and operates technological solutions to push innovation in aeronautics, mobility, naval/offshore and automotive. With COVID-19 pandemic, CEiiA has reoriented its know-how, in close cooperation with a specialised medical team, in order to create the first Portuguese clinical ventilator to be used in the hospitals' intensive care units. Adapting its activity, CEiiA mobilised 106 of their engineers for a completely new sector of activity, allowing the hospitals to face the most critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 45 days, in a close cooperation with a specialised medical team, the Atena ventilator was created. The way that CEiiA adapted its professional activity allowed hospitals to be better equipped to respond to the needs brought by COVID-19.

Use of measure

CEiiA mobilised 106 engineers for the creation of the Atena ventilator.

The first 100 units produced were offered to Portuguese hospitals. And by June 2020, 400 units had already been produced, resulting in a production capacity of 20 units per day. There are over 600 in order books for export to countries like Brazil, Angola and Dubai.

CEiiA received funding of €2.6 million from the National Agency for Innovation (Agência Nacional de Inovação - ANI).The director of CEiiA states that in the next two years, the amount will be returned to the State, more specifically to ANI.

Contents

• Other topics

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Companies providing essential services	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Company / Companies	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No views of the social partners.

Sectors and occupations

Sources

• 15 July 2020: CEiiA Case (marketingfuturecastlab.pt)
• 25 July 2020: Apenas versão 2 do ventilador ventilador Atena será submetida a certificação CE (healthnews.pt)