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LEAP, MSU Coordinate Regional Manufacturing To Fight Coronavirus

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Michigan State University and the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) are coordinating the efforts of a cluster of local manufacturing companies to produce protective gear to combat COVID-19.

Lansing-area manufacturers and the local medical community are working together to meet the demand for personal protective equipment for workers battling COVID-19.

A cluster of regional biotech and life sciences companies is working with Michigan State University, local hospitals and the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, or LEAP. 

Even some non-medical technology companies like Dart Container and Peckham are supporting the effort to produce masks, face shields and sanitizer. 

Keith Lambert is vice-president of business attraction at LEAP.

“With all the health care leadership as well as the supply chain people on, connecting directly with the manufacturers to talk about how they can partner and do cool things together,” says Lambert.  “The number of touch points from there have been probably in the hundreds at this point.”

MSU is working to scale up the use of vaporized hydrogen peroxide, which can be used to sterilize surgical masks that can be re-used up to 20 times. 

 

 

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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