HeiQ and ICP Industrial Inc, a division of Innovative Chemical Products (ICP) have signed a contract granting ICP Industrial worldwide exclusivity for the HeiQ Viroblock technology in graphic art coatings for commercial printing processes including food, beverage and pharma packaging. HeiQ Viroblock, the world’s leading antiviral/antibacterial technology thereby underlines its versatility as it enters a new ‘beyond textile’ phase in its lifecycle.
HeiQ and ICP Industrial have signed a 5 year worldwide binding contract that grants ICP exclusive rights to implement HeiQ Viroblock technology in coatings for printing processes such as commercial print, food, beverage and pharma packaging. An integral part of the deal is the agreement to enter and intensify a collaborative R&D partnership between the two companies. HeiQ and ICP will offer HeiQ Viroblock technology and trademarks to all ICP downstream customers which manufacture packaging products for some of the worlds largest consumer brands enabling them to market products in antimicrobial packaging. In addition to packaging sectors, ICP customers can utilize the HeiQ Viroblock Technology in other high touch printed and coated surfaces including laminate films.
Recent studies show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could persist on inanimate surfaces such as metals, glass or plastic for up to 9 days. It was the conceptive goal to make surfaces antiviral that HeiQ Viroblock was first invented. Originally conceived as an antiviral/antimicrobial technology for textiles, this technology has proven its innovative versatility as it has already been adopted for paints and most recently for printed paper products. HeiQ Viroblock is among the first technologies in the world to be proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) and has been applied by more than 150 brands worldwide to over 1 billion face masks and countless other materials. HeiQ Viroblock combines two mechanisms of attack resulting in an over 99.99% destruction of various kinds of viruses and bacteria, according to tests performed to ISO 18184 and ISO 20743 standards. HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 is made with 100% cosmetic-grade materials.
Setting new milestones in the evolution of this technology, HeiQ Viroblock not only confirms its leading role in the pursuit of protection but also underlines the mainstream acceptance of the need for shielding against contamination from all the materials one encounters in everyday life. The new partnership will on the one hand, strengthen the HeiQ Viroblock brand whilst giving consumers the trust and confidence to live ‘normal’ lives secure in the knowledge that surfaces they come into contact in their daily lives are much less likely to become hosting surfaces of viruses and bacteria.
HeiQ Co-founder and CEO, Carlo Centonze said: “It is with great pleasure that we team up with ICP Industrial, a global leader serving the print and packaging industry with advanced coating systems. As we have all learned in this global pandemic surfaces matter and viruses can remain infectious for several days on paper & cardboard. HeiQ and ICP Industrial bring together their unique knowledge to offer consumers viroblocked packaging and commercial print solutions.”
ICP Industrial’s Division President Paul Grzebielucha said: “We are excited to offer this new innovative life saving technology to the print world. We have global reach under our brands of Nicoat, MinusNine and Hitech Coatings to provide this protection on billions of printed surfaces per year. This HeiQ Viroblock game changing technology for our industry and society has proven to be a superior solution that is currently available in the marketplace. HeiQ products have proven efficacy in minutes rather than hours with an effective rate of 99.95%. ICP Industrial has always provided innovative solutions to the graphic arts and packaging segments while maintaining the highest level of customer and technical service in the industry. ICP Industrial is very excited about the partnership with HeiQ bringing this technology to market providing a safer touch environment to the world.”
*In image above: Paul Grzebielucha (left), ICP Industrial’s Division President and Carlo Centonze (right), HeiQ’s co-founder and Group CEO. (Image from HeiQ and ICP Industrial)
