The consortium that joins Instituto Superior Técnico, Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Hidrofer and Logoplaste to produce swabs was officialy created. The ceremony took place this Thursday, 23rd April at IST – CTN campus.

The ceremony was attended by the consortium members and by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, and the Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa.

The president of Técnico, professor Rogério Colaço, stressed the importance of this partnership that “allowed us to combine knowledge and skills to produce these kits in sufficient quantity to meet country’s needs”. “We hope to export these kits wherever needed as soon as possible”.

This consortium will produce Dacron swabs. The swabs are designed at ABC, produced at Hidrofer (Famalicão), sterilized in CTN laboratories and later included in a kit manufactured by Logoplaste. The project has the support of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD).

AEIST also plays an important role in the production of these kits. After receiving the swabs, the AEIST team packs them, 2 per bag. These bags are sent to Técnico laboratories at CTN campus to be sterilised. “After receiving the sterile swab bags and the falcon tubes, containing liquid transport medium, from ABC UAlgarve, AEIST packs, labels and seals the test kits”, explains António de Almeida Costa, vice president of AEIST – Alameda campus.   The AEIST team is also in charge of producing and cutting the labels.

It is important to remember that swabs are essential for Covid-19 screening and that Portugal was importing this material in order to be able to do the tests. Now there is a product 100% Made in Portugal that combines science and economics to face the current public health emergency.