Participation of iBET in the Cleanward Project, funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme

Cleanward is a two-year EU-funded FP7 project which aims to develop a novel, safe, user-friendly anti-microbial cleaning system for hospital ward surfaces based on the use of a titanium dioxide coated ultra-microfibre fabric that will easily integrate into existing contract cleaning equipment. The coating will react with water and UV to produce a highly reactive environment killing all harmful micro-organisms quickly and thoroughly without the need for chemical disinfectant, all in an isolate low water volume unit. Moreover, the cloths will be available for re-use without running the risk of microbiological cross contamination. Besides iBET, partners in this endeavour include RTDs and SMEs distributed through the UK, Turkey, Norway and Italy, and three end user NHS trusts – South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust in Belfast, NHS Lanarkshire and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.A steering meeting between Cleanward partners took place last January in Glasgow.