element14, an Avnet Community, is giving its members the opportunity to come up with creative and altruistic solutions for global disasters. Members are encouraged to think outside the box and share ideas that could potentially be used to combat anything from global droughts and flooding, to world hunger or even complications from long term COVID-19 symptoms or other large-scale global problems.

“As headlines continue to focus on the disasters facing our world, we’re glad to be able to offer our community members the chance to work toward finding solutions and building something that can have a positive impact,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “We hope this design challenge will inspire our community members to push themselves creatively and develop something that could be of use to people in need.”

Arduino is supplying 50 selected community members with a free Arduino Nano 33 IoT to help them build their designs. The Arduino Nano 33 IoT is a dual processor board that is designed to be a practical and cost-effective solution for makers seeking to add Wi-Fi connectivity to their projects. It offers enough flexibility to be helpful for just about any project the community members come up with.

Any submission that helps to support a cause and uses the Arduino Nano 33 IoT as part of the design is eligible to participate in this challenge. Potential projects could include:

• Micro plastic monitoring buoy
• Open source security system
• Mobile refrigerator for vaccine distribution
• Pest control system
• Aids for those with long term COVID-19 symptoms
• Safer cooking options for people with sight impairments
• Mobility Aids
• Open source electric wheelchair conversion kit

Participants can apply to receive a free Arduino Nano 33 IoT online until 1^st February. These sponsored challengers will be announced on 8^th February, with projects due on 19^th April. Sponsored challengers will be required to blog throughout their process, including publishing the final code and designs for the projects on the element14.com site.

The grand prize winner of the design challenge will receive a Creality CR10-S 3D printer from Farnell, a 64GB iPad Air with WiFi, and will have $500 donated to the charity of their choice. The runner up will receive a 64GB iPad Air with WiFi and $250 donated to the charity of their choice. Those who complete the challenge and follow the participation requirements will receive a pocket digital multimeter. Winners will be announced on 3^rd May.

To learn more about the “Design For A Cause” design challenge, please visit element14.com.

element14, an Avnet community, has seen its global membership of engineers and makers rise to the challenge to stay safe and support their friends, family and local first responders during the pandemic. The element14 Community’s focus has been on encouraging innovation to create germ-fighting solutions, providing 3D printers to produce face shields and masks, and sharing open source instructions to help deliver additional lifesaving machines as COVID-19 cases continue impact people’s lives around the world.

“Engineers develop solutions to fix problems, and our community of innovators is no different,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of the element14 Community and Social Media for Farnell. “We’re so proud of the way our community has banded together in the face of this pandemic to support each other and provide needed supplies and solutions to help people stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

When the pandemic first reached members of the element14 Community, they requested a new design challenge to help drive them to come up with new ways to stay safe. The Fighting Germs Design Challenge, launched in March 2020, saw a range of projects created by participants to fight COVID-19 and protect vulnerable populations. The winning designs ranged from contact-less virtual buttons, to a face mask detector system, to a contact-free temperature checker. All of the participants blogged about their designs on the element14 Community site to encourage other members to find unique ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

To help hospitals facing ventilator shortages, element14 shared an open source ventilator that could be locally produced to fill the gap quickly. The goal for this design was to inspire engineers and medical companies with new ways to design a ventilator and to offer something that could be mass produced quickly to offer high quality ventilation. In this innovative design, a Raspberry Pi 4 controls a Trinamic Motion control and motor driver ICs that regulate a blower fan corresponding to constantly monitored data.

element14 is part of Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, and aim to help design engineers, maintenance and test engineers, makers, parents, and teachers develop the future generation of coders and products that apply technology to change our world for the better.

All of these projects and designs highlight the incredible work being done by the more than 750,000-member strong element14 Community to help keep their communities safe in these unprecedented times. To learn more about how element14 is supporting its members working to fight the pandemic, visit https://www.element14.com/.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has presented purchasers with a major challenge in sourcing electronic components and resulted in healthcare systems worldwide facing an extreme shortfall of ventilators and their components. Buyers are faced with two challenges: accessing components in the quantities and timescales required, and accessing products with the required certifications to ensure reliability in the healthcare environment. 

As the coronavirus crisis accelerates, element14 is doing its bit by procuring the components to fulfil orders and support the customers as they produce medical equipment

element14 has also published a ventilator reference design to help design engineers get started. The complexity of a system can differ significantly, but standard elements in a medical ventilator system remain the same.

element14 stocks a wide range of sensors (Humidity, Pressure, Temperature and Flow), MCUs, AC/DC Power Supplies, DC/DC Power Supplies, Wireless modules and many more products from leading manufacturers such as NXP, STMicroelectronics, ON Semiconductor, Microchip, Renesas and Infineon to support design needs in this critical phase.

Vinesh Pulse, National Sales Manager at element14 said, “Demand for components for medical devices has surged. In order to secure supply chain in uncertain times, manufacturers can turn to distributors for assistance. Look for a distributor that has items in stock for a faster service, digital capabilities to continue in this disruptive environment, a strong technical support team to help identify alternatives when supply is challenged and great relationships with carriers and suppliers. During COVID-19 element14 worked with suppliers to create some direct-ship options so that stock could be shipped direct to customers from the supplier warehouse, speeding up the supply chain. element14 also worked with suppliers to source additional stock at short notice for specific critical orders on behalf of their customers.”

For more information, please visit the link: https://in.element14.com/medical-ventilator-app

Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, is donating over €22,000 to charity through its ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ charitable initiative. This unique programme was supported by supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro. Visitors to the Farnell website were invited to nominate one of two chosen charitable organisations – the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund or Plan International Ireland. Each charity received a donation of €1 for every nomination, as well as larger donations when customers bought featured products. In total, the charities received over €11,000 each.

Chris Breslin, President of Farnell’s global business, says: “We understand how critical it is to help those most vulnerable in our society and we are proud to have led this initiative to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’. Thank you to our customers, who participated so enthusiastically in aid of two fantastic and deserving charities. I would also like to thank our partners ROHM Semiconductor, Rohde & Schwarz and the Multicomp Pro manufacturers, who generously supported the initiative.”

Sabrina Grassi, Director General, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, says: “We would like to warmly thank Farnell for donating to the “Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund” for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. We are facing an unprecedented challenge with communities everywhere affected by the growing pandemic, and the world is coming together to combat COVID-19, bringing organisations and individuals together to help respond to this global outbreak. The outpouring of solidarity sparked by this shared challenge has been phenomenal. This donation has supported WHO’s response in leading and coordinating the global effort, while supporting countries to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. On behalf of the “Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund”, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation is grateful for this support.”

Paul O’Brien, CEO at Plan International Ireland, said: “Thank you to Farnell for choosing Plan International Ireland as one of the recipient charities for the ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ campaign. The funds raised are going to make a big difference to our education programmes in developing countries, especially for girls. After many months of prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in developing countries are starting to reopen. Plan International Ireland are working hard in the communities that we support, helping to get schools ready to reopen safely; we have installed handwashing facilities at hundreds of schools and distributed thousands of facemasks and school supplies to students.”

Breslin continued: “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to support those on the front-line, fighting this crisis. Together with supplier partners, we have ensured the delivery of essential supplies to customers manufacturing health care equipment such as ventilators and test equipment. We’ve also donated over €50,000 in 3D printing equipment to support the production of essential PPE across Europe and the rest of the world. We find ourselves in a new world, with a new normal, yet remain committed to our values, and delivering the service and support that our customers expect from us.”

For more information about Farnell’s ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ initiative, visit https://uk.farnell.com/bettertomorrow.

**

The charities supported by this campaign were:

• COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation - The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund provides direct support to WHO and partners to help countries prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO partners include UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and WFP (World Food Programme).

• Plan International Ireland – an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Farnell is specifically supporting the work of Plan International in educational programmes in West Africa.

element14.com, an Avnet community, has announced the winning designs of its “Fighting Germs” Design Challenge, where participants helped to fight COVID-19 by creating projects that protect vulnerable populations and help people cope with the crisis.

The Grand Prize winner, Shabaz Yousaf from the UK, created contact-less virtual buttons that are motion-sensor based, allowing the user to make selections without direct physical contact. The three first place winners, based in the United States, Canada and India, all created germ-fighting projects designed for safety as communities reopen. First place projects include a face mask detector system that uses cameras to determine if someone is properly wearing a face covering, a 3D printed face shield designed to clip onto the brim of a baseball cap, and a contact-free temperature checker that provides a pass, fail or borderline result to signify whether or not someone is healthy enough to be in public spaces.

“Now more than ever, we’re all working to find innovative solutions that can help us keep our friends, families and co-workers safe,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “Our community of makers and engineers are especially well equipped to find innovative solutions to the challenges this pandemic presents. We hope these projects will inspire others and help to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

The grand prize winner of this design challenge received an IR Camera, £200 shopping cart to Farnell.com and a £200 donation to a charity of choice. The three first place winners each received a germicidal lamp, a £100 shopping cart to Farnell.com and a £100 donation to a charity of choice.

element14 is part of Farnell, the Development Distributor, which helps design engineers, maintenance and test engineers, makers, parents, and teachers develop the future generation of coders and products that apply technology to change our world for the better.

To learn more about element14 Design Challenges and see the full list of winners, visit the element14 website.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, stocks a range of technology and safety equipment to support businesses as they prepare to return to work following the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As countries move to relax lockdowns, social distancing restrictions remain and enhanced cleaning processes are being put in place to ensure the safety of staff in warehouses, shops and offices. As a result, businesses of all types are reassessing working practices and putting new measures in place to monitor, protect and ensure safe social distance for their staff.

Farnell’s range – with active restocking to satisfy high levels of demand – includes:

Monitor: Thermal cameras can be used to detect Elevated Body Temperature (EBT), identifying individuals who should be screened with virus-specific diagnostic tests to help reduce or slow any resurgence of viruses and infections.

• The FLIR ONE PRO allows you to transform you smartphone into a thermal camera. Available for both IOS and Android, this is a cost effective way to monitor temperatures in many environments. FLIR thermal cameras have a long history of being used in public spaces such as airports, train terminals, and factories to measure skin surface temperature and identify individuals with EBT.
• The non-contact IR200 InfraRed forehead thermometer from EXTECH Instruments is designed to quickly and safely detect Elevated Body Temperature. Raised body temperature is a key symptom of the COVID-19 virus and while this IR thermometer is not a substitute for clinical temperature monitoring equipment, it is ideal for use at home or in the workplace for quick and safe measurements.

Protect: PPE and hygiene products maximise cleanliness, reduce the risk of bacteria build-up and can help protect people from carrying or transferring infectious bacteria. The provision of PPE such as face masks and disposable gloves to staff and visitors can help to prevent the spread of infection and safeguard everyone on site.

Distance: The IRISYS SafeCount Live Occupancy Monitoring System can help businesses and organisations ensure customers, visitors and employees have the space they need to operate safely. Designed for accuracy and fast implementation, the SafeCount system helps businesses comply with social distancing guidelines and occupancy restrictions by anonymously counting people as they enter and exit your building. Safecount is suitable for buildings of all sizes, delivering live occupancy data with visual warnings and alerts when limits are approached or exceeded.

Farnell also stocks a range of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Signage for effective safety and social distancing.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools at Farnell said: “As businesses look to return to work, Farnell is here to support customers looking for ways to ensure their staff’s safety. Farnell has solutions to support a broad range of safety plans – from equipment to monitor building numbers and Elevated Body Temperature, right through to more traditional signage options. This year, ensuring the safety of all people in the workplace will be a focus like never before, and even as we move through this pandemic, new ways of working must remain to minimise the risk of returning to crisis. Farnell is now shipping these new-essentials, so that customers can welcome their people back with confidence and secure the future of their businesses in a post-COVID environment.”

Whilst global demand for facemasks and respirators continues at unprecedented levels, it is more difficult to maintain stock of approved N95 respirators, or equivalent, as stock is incredibly limited. Farnell supports the decision of suppliers such as 3M to redirect their global inventory directly to the healthcare industry, ensuring that these essential items get to where they are most needed.

In addition to fast delivery and regular restocking of inventory, Farnell offers a range of online services to enable customers to back order essential items and register their interest to receive a notification when a specific product is back in stock. Customers also have free access to online data sheets, application notes and more.

The full range of products to monitor, protect and distance are available from Farnell.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, has launched a charitable initiative with support from supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro, seeking to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’.

Visitors to the Farnell website until the middle of July can nominate one of two chosen charitable organisations who will then receive a donation from Farnell on their behalf. For every visitor to the Farnell site, Farnell will donate €1 to the chosen charity. Donations will be tracked by location and chosen charity, and results will be displayed on a real-time map.

Visitors will also be able to ‘boost’ the donation by purchasing products from the Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro ranges. For every purchase made before the end of July, Farnell will donate an additional €1 for purchases of Multicomp Pro and ROHM products valued above €50, or €10 for purchases of Rohde & Schwarz valued €100 or more.

The charities supported by this campaign are:

• COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation - The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund provides direct support to WHO and partners to help countries prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO partners include UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and WFP (World Food Programme).

• Plan International Ireland – an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Farnell is specifically supporting the work of Plan International in educational programmes in West Africa.

Chris Breslin, President of Farnell said: “As a global electronics business, we strive to make a positive impact wherever we can, from volunteering and fundraising to our recycling scheme which has saved over 100 tonnes of packaging going to landfill. As part of this initiative to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’, we are working with supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and our private label brand Multicomp Pro to raise funds for two great charities. The donations to Plan International and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund will help support those most in need around the world right now. I hope that our customers will get involved by visiting the Farnell website.”

Farnell is supported by supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro.

Toshimitsu Suzuki, President of ROHM Semiconductor Europe says: “ROHM is always committed to making the world a better place to live, and thus Farnell’s ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ charity campaign is fully endorsed. We are proud of being listed as one of the main partners for this campaign and do hope our contribution and the resulting revenue will provide relief to unnamed neighbours and friends who are hardest hit by the consequences of Covid-19.”

Bob Bluhm, Vice President of Value Instruments at Rohde & Schwarz said: “In difficult times like these, the importance of reaching out a helping hand, becomes even more apparent. We appreciate this initiative from our partner Farnell and are honoured to be able to support their fundraising efforts”

Visit farnell.com/bettertomorrow and fill out the form to let Farnell donate on your behalf.

Newark stocks a range of technology and safety equipment to support businesses as they prepare to return to work following the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As States across the country move to relax lockdowns, social distancing restrictions remain and enhanced disinfection processes are being put in place to ensure the safety of staff in warehouses, shops and offices. Businesses of all types are therefore reassessing working practices and putting new measures in place to monitor, protect and ensure safe social distance for their staff.

Newark’s range – with active restocking to satisfy high levels of demand - includes:

Monitor: Thermal cameras can be used to detect Elevated Body Temperature, identifying individuals who should be screened with virus-specific diagnostic tests to help reduce or slow any resurgence of viruses and infections.

• The Omega TI-120GTS-Series thermal imager with facial detection is perfect for single and multi-person human body temperature screening. The integrated AI can capture multiple faces simultaneously, even while the target is in motion. The fast millisecond response time enables a high throughput of screening suitable for highly congested areas like retail locations, schools/universities, and other locations with larger gatherings.
• Flir camera models 75-24, 95-24, and 540-24 are ideal for Elevated Body Temperature Monitoring. FLIR thermal cameras have a long history of being used in public spaces—such as airports, train terminals, businesses, factories, and concerts—as an effective tool to measure skin surface temperature and identify individuals with Elevated Body Temperature (EBT).
• The non-contact IR200 InfraRed forehead thermometer from EXTECH Instruments is designed to quickly and safely detect elevated body temperature. Raised body temperature is a key symptom of the COVID-19 virus and while this IR thermometer is not a substitute for clinical temperature monitoring equipment, it is ideal for use at home or in the workplace for quick and safe measurements.

Protect: PPE and hygiene products maximise cleanliness, reduce the risk of bacteria build-up and can help protect people from carrying or transferring infectious bacteria. To help companies follow CDC approved disinfecting procedures for businesses, including the disinfecting of common area surfaces, Newark has bundled the Milwaukee Tools M18™ SWITCH TANK™ 4-gallon backpack sprayer with a 70% IPA solution from TechSpray. This 4-gallon backpack sprayer kit delivers disinfecting solution with no manual pumping.

Distance: The IRISYS SafeCount Live Occupancy Monitoring System can help businesses and organizations ensure customers, visitors and employees have the space they need to operate safely. Designed for accuracy and fast implementation, the SafeCount system helps businesses comply with social distancing guidelines and occupancy restrictions by anonymously counting people as they enter and exit your building. Safecount is suitable for buildings of all sizes, delivering live occupancy data with visual warnings and alerts when limits are approached or exceeded.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools at Newark said: “As businesses look to return to work, Newark is here to support customers looking for ways to ensure their staff’s safety. Newark has solutions to support a broad range of safety plans – from equipment to monitor building numbers and enhanced body temperature, right through to more traditional signage options. This year, ensuring the safety of all people in the workplace will have a focus like never before, and even as we move through this pandemic, new ways of working must remain to minimise the risk of returning to crisis. Newark is now shipping these new-essentials, so that customers can welcome their people back with confidence and secure the future of their businesses in a post-COVID environment.”

At this time, when global demand for facemasks and respirators is at unprecedented levels, it is more difficult to maintain stock of approved N95 respirators or equivalent as stock is incredibly limited. Newark supports the decision of suppliers such as 3M to redirect their global inventory directly to the healthcare industry, ensuring that these essential items get to where they are most needed.

Newark also stocks a range of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Signage for effective safety and social distancing.

In addition to fast delivery and regular restocking of inventory, Newark offers a range of online services to enable customers to back order essential items and register their interest to receive a notification when a specific product is back in stock. Customers also have free access to online data sheets, application notes and more.

The full range of products to monitor, protect and distance are available from Newark.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, has introduced new inventory measures and online services to support the healthcare industry and meet record customer demand for personal protection and hygiene products during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Farnell is restocking a wide range of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hygiene products every week to meet the needs of customers. The move is in response to a 125 percent increase in searches for PPE and other essential products on Farnell’s e-commerce site since an international public health emergency was declared on 30^th January.

PPE and hygiene products maximise cleanliness, reduce the risk of bacteria build-up and can help protect people from carrying or transferring infectious bacteria. These beneficial products are highly sought-after for health and medical use, however demand soared after the general public took increased precautionary action to help prevent the spread of the virus.

A wide range of protective, hygiene, cleaning, test and measurement, and office products are available for fast delivery from Farnell, including:

• The non-contact IR200 InfraRed forehead thermometer from EXTECH Instruments: designed to quickly and safely detect elevated body temperature. Raised body temperature is a key symptom of the COVID-19 virus and while this IR thermometer is not a substitute for clinical temperature monitoring equipment, it is ideal for use at home or in the workplace for quick and safe measurements.

• Hand Sanitiser from AF International: one of the top selling products in Farnell’s range. Supplied in a 500ml pump-bottle, it contains vitamin E and more than 60 percent alcohol content. This cleaning gel is ideal for use at home or office workstations to reduce the risk of spreading bacteria.

• Safety First Aid Group’s HypaClean foam hand sanitiser: another of Farnell’s leading hygiene products, ideal for reducing skin irritation and effective against bacteria and viruses. The 500ml foam hand sanitiser pump bottle is alcohol free and suitable for use by people of all ages, including children. Independently proven to be effective against a wide range of microorganisms, the HypaClean hand gel sanitiser is also available in a travel-sized 50ml bottle for use on the go.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools at Farnell said: “Farnell remains open for business and offers a wide range of products to support customers seeking personal protective equipment and hygiene products which are critical in the fight against COVID-19. Our customers can rest assured that even though demand for these products is currently at an all-time high we remain committed to weekly restocking of inventory and delivering products to customers when they need them. Farnell is proud to work alongside its suppliers and partners in the healthcare industry to ensure output of PPE is maximised and delivered on time to where it is needed most in a time of global crisis.”

At this time, when global demand for facemasks and respirators is at unprecedented levels, it is more difficult to maintain stock of approved N95 respirators or equivalent as stock is incredibly limited. Farnell supports the decision of suppliers such as 3M to redirect their global inventory directly to the healthcare industry, ensuring that these essential items get to where they are most needed.

In addition to fast delivery and regular restocking of inventory, Farnell offers a range of online services to enable customers to back order essential items and register their interest to receive a notification when a specific product is back in stock. Customers also have free access to online data sheets, application notes and more.

The full range of products for PPE and hygiene needs are available from Farnell in EMEA.

Mathew Thorpe, Regional Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and Benelux for Farnell commented: “Demand for components for medical devices has surged. If you consider the amount of ventilators that are needed globally, demand outstrips the supply that any one distributor will have in stock. Our product and sales teams are working very closely with suppliers to access additional stock to fulfil orders and support our customers as they produce medical equipment at scale.”

Examples of projects that Farnell has supported include:

• In the UK, Farnell continues to work with a government-backed coalition of businesses including major household names who are repurposing their production capabilities to design, prototype and manufacture new ventilators and those increasing production of existing ventilators such as the paraPAC plus™ .

• In Italy, Farnell has supported one of the biggest companies as they produce the first 1,000 pieces of a new open-source pulmonary mechanical ventilator called “Milano Ventilatore Meccanico” leveraging Raspberry Pi and Multicomp products as part of an international research project.

• In the Netherlands, Farnell is supporting customers participating in Project Open Air, a global volunteer movement of projects and people working together to provide equipment, supplies and services needed by hospitals. Essential products include ventilators, respiratory masks, and home monitors to measure the temperature, heart rate and oxygen in the blood at home to monitor patients at risk.

Farnell has also supported customers with components for COVID-19 testing kits, non-contact viral temperature monitoring instruments as well as PPE for paramedics, power cords and power solutions for hospitals.

To further support health care workers facing a shortage of protective gear and equipment needed to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, Farnell has identified groups and individuals who are using 3D printers to create visors and ear protectors for health workers and parts for field respirators, and donated more than $50,000 worth of 3D printing equipment and consumables to support their efforts.

Across Europe, Farnell continues to support multiple volunteer groups through donations of 3D printers and filament, including a pop-up manufacturing plant in element14 community member’s home where printers are working around the clock to support the needs of hospitals across the UK; a new manufacturing hub launched specifically to support the UK’s first Nightingale field hospital; and organisations in Poland and Spain providing visors and parts for field respirators. Similarly, in Chicago—where Farnell’s North American business is based—Farnell has donated printers and filament to De Paul University, which is responding to local demand for PPE.

element14, an Avnet community, announced the launch of the “Fighting Germs” Project14 design challenge. The challenge is engaging element14’s problem-solving designers and engineers to find innovative solutions to fighting germs, one of the most efficient ways to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The goal of this challenge is for members of the element14 Community to create an affordable project that utilises resources and components that are readily available so others can easily replicate their designs. The hope is that numerous people around the world will be able to help slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their communities with these innovative approaches.

“Everyone has the opportunity to do their part to help slow the spread of this disease, and that is especially true of our amazing community of engineers, makers and hobbyists,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “Our members came to us just as the lock-downs started and asked us to launch a challenge for new innovations in this area. We encourage our more than 720,000 members to put their unique design skills to work and create solutions to help prevent the spread of this pandemic.”

The design challenge is tackling today’s most pressing global problem head-on, while encouraging the element14 Community to be part of the solution in fighting the spread of this pandemic. Unlike other design challenges, there are no specific requirements to participate. Potential solutions could include:

• Face protection
• Body temperature monitor/access controls
• Contactless disinfection of frequently touched surfaces
• Automated disease testing

The grand prize winner of the “Fighting Germs” design challenge will win a $200 shopping cart to Farnell.com, a $200 donation to their preferred COVID-19 charitable cause and a Flir thermal imaging camera. An additional 3 winners will each receive $100 shopping carts to Farnell.com to help bring their designs to life along with a UV sanitising lamp. Members can work on tackling this challenge solo or in teams, as long as they collaborate remotely.

element14’s Project14 competition series is by members for members. For this monthly project competition, element14 Community members decide the competition, come up with ideas for new themes, and vote for the themes they want to pursue. By opening this competition to a broad audience, novices, experts, and everyone in between come together to learn from and share with each other as they work to turn their ideas into finished projects.

The “Fighting Germs” Project 14 design challenge is open now through to 15^th June. Winners will be announced by 29^th June.

To learn more about Project 14 and the “Fighting Germs” design challenge, please visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/project14/fightinggerms