Konica Minolta, Inc. announced that the company has concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Tamura TECO Co., Ltd. (Tamura TECO), an Osaka-based leading maker of ozone-related products that are effective for removing viruses, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and create a clean and safe living environment.
The scope of collaboration includes contract manufacturing of ozone gas products, whose production system needs to be expanded rapidly to meet the growing demand from medical institutions and fire departments across Japan due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and procurement of parts to increase the manufacturing capacity. Konica Minolta has been selling some of Tamura TECO’s existing products through the Group’s sales channels.
Key points of the agreement include:
- Procurement of parts and OEM manufacturing by taking full advantage of Konica Minolta’s manufacturing skills and capability
- Commencement of sales of some of Tamura TECO’s products through the Konica Minolta Group’s sales channels
- Joint development of new products for medical use and product control systems
- Utilization of an integrated platform with peripheral devices
Previously, a high-concentration ozone gas was shown to effectively inactivate E. Coli, influenza viruses, norovirus, pollen, and COVID-19. In August 2020, it was verified that low-concentration ozone gas is effective for decontaminating COVID-19 based on experiments conducted by Fujita Health University. The results showed that ozone generators (capable of generating ozone at a low concentration and maintaining an appropriate concentration) can be used constantly at a concentration permissible for the human body at places where people gather, such as medical facilities, public transport systems, and offices, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Tamura TECO uses the expertise acquired through these demonstration experiments to develop products. The company optimally controls the CT value (ozone concentration multiplied by exposure time), which is an important index for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of ozone gas, to commercialise products. As COVID-19 has spread, Tamura TECO has received a huge increase in orders from medical institutions and fire departments across Japan, and so needs to quickly expand its production system.
Against this backdrop, Konica Minolta will help expand Tamura TECO’s production system by using its production and procurement capability. The collaboration will study the possibility of jointly developing, manufacturing, and selling new products for medical use and using Konica Minolta’s integrated platform in the future.
