To address the COVID-19 emergency, Regione Lombardia, starting from 16 March 2020, initiated a search for companies intending to reconvert their production within the Lombardy region and/or nationally to supply products suitable for protection, in particular surgical masks and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as filtering facepieces, gowns, and other types of clothing, also in light of the provisions of Articles 15 and 16 of Decree-Law no. 18 of 17 March 2020, as amended by the conversion law no. 27 of 24 April 2020

In view of the start of Phase 2 from 4 May, as provided for by the Prime Ministerial Decree of 26 April 2020, and the passing of the first and most critical phase of the emergency, the project to create a local supply chain for the production and supply of masks and PPE is also entering a second phase: the project will not be discontinued, given the ongoing need to source surgical masks and PPE, but operational procedures will change, as specified below.

Politecnico di Milano, having collaborated on the project by conducting over 800 material tests for the production of surgical masks during March and April, has announced the conclusion of its testing activities. As a result of this work, materials and manufacturing types suitable for ensuring adequate protection have been identified, as detailed in the technical notes in Annex 2 (for surgical masks) and Annex 3 (for gowns), which are the result of the work carried out over these weeks and which we strongly recommend as a reference to ensure the production of suitable devices. Materials submitted by 4 May will still be evaluated by Politecnico di Milano, with appropriate feedback provided to the companies concerned.

Regarding surgical masks produced with materials not included in the attached technical notes, useful reference information can be found in the “Summary of the UNI EN 14683:2019 standard” available on the Confindustria Dispositivi Medici website. Furthermore, a list of laboratories where tests can be carried out is available on the website of Accredia, the Italian Accreditation Body, at the following link.

As for PPE, among the various notified Italian Certification Bodies, it is possible to refer to ITALCERT S.r.l. for respiratory protection PPE and to CENTROCOT S.p.A. for clothing. Both bodies have collaborated on the project's activities; however, please note that, due to their institutional role, they cannot provide consultancy services and therefore cannot offer support for design and development. Furthermore, as they are private entities, their response times may vary significantly depending on the types of products and tests, and the requests received.

The email address DPIcoronavirus@regione.lombardia.it remains active exclusively for entities proposing to reconvert production within the Lombardy region and/or nationally and who wish to express this intention to Regione Lombardia: in particular, we are still interested in hearing from companies that have reconverted, or are in the process of reconverting, and are able to supply products certified with the appropriate CE mark or authorised by way of derogation by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and/or Inail, according to the procedures further detailed in Annex 1, in order to further promote and support the development of local supply chains for the production of masks and PPE.

Regarding the needs of the regional health and social-health sector, please be informed that since 6 April 2020, the procurement of services and supplies necessary to address the COVID-19 epidemic has been carried out by the Extraordinary Commissioner for the implementation and coordination of measures to contain and combat the COVID-19 epidemiological emergency. The regional procurement agency, ARIA S.p.A., will continue to procure services and supplies not provided by the Commissioner through ordinary public procurement procedures, and only where reasons of extreme urgency require it, through direct award.

Regione Lombardia would like to thank all those who have collaborated, starting with the trade associations and in particular Confindustria Lombardia, who assisted in identifying the companies that proposed reconversion, as well as the certified companies BLS and Indutex, which made their know-how available.

Finally, please note that Regione Lombardia, via Resolution no. 3112 of 5 May (attached at the bottom of the page), has allocated 10 million euros in subsidies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to reconvert their production units or to expand their production capacity for masks and other PPE. Expenses incurred after the publication date of the Prime Ministerial Decree of 8 March 2020 will be eligible. The call for applications will be published on the Regione Lombardia website by the end of May.