The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, visited on April 16 the facilities of the Centre for Research and Applied Innovation of Vocational Training in the Basque Country, Tknika, in Errenteria. Alongside her were the Councillor of Education, Cristina Uriarte, the Minister of Health, Nekane Murga, and the Counselor for Economic Development and Infrastructure, Arantxa Tapia.

Tknika, a department under the Department of Education, has been working since the first days of March on the design, development and approval of various protection elements for health personnel. Tknika works closely with the Department of Health, Osakidetza and BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research) to deal with this important work by Covid-19. Among the protection elements that the center located in Errenteria has worked, the various types of surgical masks, as well as the screens of facial protection (viseras) stand out. To date, the Professional Training of the Basque Country has manufactured more than 20,000 visors in collaboration with the COVID-19 Euskadi Maker community.

Surgical masks

In early March, a group led by Tknika, in collaboration with the Integrated Centre for Vocational Training Don Bosco and BIOEF, began to study the possibility of creating several prototypes of surgical masks to respond to the health needs of the workers of the Basque Country. IIR masks are the surgical masks with the highest level of protection in terms of bacterial filtration efficiency, respiratory capacity and splash resistance (called Splashes). In the coming days the Basque Government expects to receive the approval of the Instituto Tecnológico Textil (AITEX).

During the first weeks of March, several prototypes were made with different materials, characterized by technologies such as electron microscopy, through comparative studies with surgical masks currently approved and acquired in other countries. The Department of Health of the Basque Government, Osakidetza, Osalan and BIOEF selected the most suitable prototypes for the use of healthcare professionals. After sending the selected masks to the laboratory of the AITEX Textile Technological Institute, the Basque Government is awaiting approval.

In addition, Tknika is currently working on prototype masks that incorporate both deaf and deaf-mute to facilitate communication with them.

Facial protection screens

Moreover, Tknika, in collaboration with 59 Vocational Training Centres in the Basque Country and the COVID-19 Euskadi Maker community, has also made screens or face-protection visors aimed at health personnel. Manufactured by 3D printing, the design and manufacture of these screens has included up to four prototypes that have been improving at all times thanks to suggestions made by the healthcare staff. To date, more than 20,000 visors have been made in Vocational Training Centres.

At the end of March, the Basque Government made available to the Departments of Education and Health of all the autonomous communities the plans of manufacture, 3D model and die and all the necessary information for these screens of protection.

Also, in relation to the healthcare sector and in line with everyone's collaboration to deal with the pandemic, Tknika is working on other health elements: Tknika's team is currently manufacturing components for rapid testing, or by studying one of health to determine the level of protection and establish possible improvements.