The air bubble that serves to prevent viruses

Now more than ever, accustomed to wearing masks, we have realized the importance of breathing clean air. We were aware when we swallowed car pollution in the city, but the coronavirus has made it even more evident. Many companies have seen a business opportunity in developing solutions that allow us to breathe well, now that we all want virus-free work environments and homes. In Barcelona, Zonair3D has been doing this for years.

Xavier Trillo founded Zonair3D in 2006, with the aim of finding a mechanism that would allow for better air in indoor spaces, especially in environments such as hospitals, where viruses and bacteria can spread through the air. He did so after suffering a respiratory pathology caused by air pollution. And the executive is clear: covid-19 will pass, but pollution will not, and we must continue innovating to extend clean air solutions.

With researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), he devised an air bubble, the Bubble Pure Air, which reached the market two years later. This purifying system can be used in hospitals, guaranteeing all safety and hygiene requirements. Doctors Without Borders or the army have used it in their field hospitals. But it can also serve athletes, who need to breathe well for better performance. Tennis player Rafa Nadal and teams like Real Madrid and Sevilla have used it.

Once the bubble was created, Zonair3D wanted to imitate this "bubble effect" in entire buildings, shops, or restaurants, through portable purifiers or those integrated into the facilities themselves. Some of the companies that have contracted these systems are Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Tram, Renfe, CaixaBank, or Veritas. It has also convinced restaurants such as Bell-lloc (Santa Cristina d'Aro), Els Tinars (Llagostera), and Botafumeiro, in Barcelona.

The company led by Trillo expects to bill around 20 million euros, after last year's three million. The pandemic effect partly explains this growth, but the increase in sales in China and exports to the Middle East have also influenced it. New clients such as public and subsidized schools in the Valencian Community and Louis Vuitton stores have also contributed to this leap in results.

With a staff of about fifty direct employees and 900 indirect ones, Zonair3D has two own production centers in Caldes de Montbui and Granollers and, separately, produces bubbles in Girona. It is present in more than 20 countries, especially in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.