The top technology prize in Switzerland, the Swiss Technology Award, announced the 2020 prizes. Among all the notable finalist innovations of the year, HeiQ has bestowed the highest honor as First Prize Winner for its breakthrough antiviral textile technology HeiQ Viroblock. Bagging this award is the most notable recognition for the young company’s innovative spirit and technologies and its contribution to stemming the global pandemic’s spread.
With an unprecedented speed of a mere two months compared to an average launch time of 12-18 months, HeiQ launched the new antiviral textile technology HeiQ Viroblock on March 16, 2020 – two hours after Switzerland declared a state of emergency. Success was made possible with the indispensable support of Swiss research Partner FHNW and the EPFL, which helped accelerate product validation.
The FHNW School of Life Sciences enabled the fast scale-up of production with their new Process Technology Center (PTC) by special permit. With its agile operations and global footprint, HeiQ also brought HeiQ Viroblock to face masks and other PPE (personal protection equipment) to different corners of the world where they are needed. Now, Swiss consumers can also acquire HeiQ Viroblock enhanced face masks online.
What exemplifies HeiQ Viroblock is its ability to turn any fabric antiviral. It is among the world’s first textile technologies to be proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). HeiQ Viroblock consists of a combination of HeiQ’s patent-pending vesicle and silver technologies. The two mechanisms of attack result in an over 99.9% destruction of viruses in 5 minutes that is unrivaled in the industry. HeiQ Viroblock is a unique patent-pending formulation of 72% bio-based ingredients, made with 100% cosmetic-grade materials from the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients list. HeiQ Viroblock is also a shining example of Swiss cooperation between academics and the industry.
