“I’m proud that ICIQ is an agile organization responding to this unforeseen emergency. We are all grateful for the imagination and work of all our dedicated colleagues,” says Miquel A. Pericàs, ICIQ Director
The COVID-19 health emergency has put to test our capacity to respond to such a challenge according to everyone’s abilities and domain of expertise. People around the world have shown their commitment by following instructions, staying indoors and limiting social interactions. Workers in the health system are doing a task beyond words. And us, at ICIQ, we have joined efforts to help in the way we can: By donating the protection materials we had in stock (face masks, gloves and sanitary disinfectant gel) and by using our 3D printers to make face mask shields, door handlers and ear protectors.
José Luis León, manager of the mechanical workshop, and Marta Serrano, technician at the chromatography unit.
“We have made a hundred face mask shields so far. Now, we’re starting to make personal door handles to avoid touching doors and ear protections for people wearing face masks for long hours,” explains José Luis León, ICIQ’s mechanical workshop manager and coordinator of the institute’s solidarity efforts. “I’m happy to come every day to an unusually empty building and work shoulder to shoulder with Marta and Meritxell, the two colleagues who are helping me in this,” adds León.
ICIQ has three 3D printers. The printers were used to make custom parts for lab setups, now they have come to the rescue. They are up and running every working day from Monday to 
Friday, from 8am to 2pm, translating official design instructions into artifacts to stop the spread of the contagion. All of the printed materials are distributed through the organization coronavirus makers and then delivered to hospitals and health facilities in the Tarragona area. Some of the materials also went to nursing homes, police officers and city town personnel in Tarragona.