In April 2021, Switzerland-based tech startup UVeya started trials of robots that use ultraviolet light to protect airline passengers from COVID-19.
The company tested the production version of the technology on the aircraft of Swiss regional carrier Helvetic Airways a month before, in partnership with Dubai-based air services provider dnata.
During the cleaning process, an autonomous sterilization robot emits concentrated UV-C light, which has been used for 50 years to clean hospitals and laboratories.
UVeya claims that its device can effectively kill more than 99% of bacteria and pathogens, such as coronavirus, in the air and on all surfaces in a few minutes, without using any chemicals.
“We are thrilled to explore the aviation market for our UVC disinfection solution with such renowned partners. We believe this collaboration will help assure aircraft are clean, safe and up to the high-level standards of this industry,” Tristan Chevignard, business development manager of UVeya, said at the time when the trial was announced.
The company is now working with airlines and train companies on the use case, and looking for investors to deploy the solution at large scale.
Takeaway
Action point
If there is an airport in your or close to your municipality, you may want to contact the airport authorities and perhaps major airlines that land in your area to explore the option of procuring one of UVeya's fancy robots. This isn't something a municipality should pay for but it could offer some assistance, or perhaps pay part of the bill. The sooner the airport starts working the sooner the tourists and business people will get back to your area - so yes, you have the skin in the game.
UVeya is still a novel product and chances are they are looking for distributors to bring their fancy robots to new places. That's where your company could find its place, helping the Swiss company move as many of these products as possible. And, of course, get a commission on the sale of every unit. Furthermore, perhaps there is room to add yourself in the maintenance equation as well - it's certainly worth investigating.