A Dublin company that has ensured clean Covid-free air for Ireland’s jubilant rowing team has scored its own victory in Japan.

Sanity System has just signed long-term distributor contracts worth an initial €1.1m in Japan and the Middle East for its ‘plug-and-play’ licensed Covid-eliminating machines.

The machines — first developed in Italy but for which Sanity Systems had secured global distribution rights prior to the pandemic — convert oxygen into ozone to remove the “bacterial load” in an enclosed space such as a room or vehicle, including pathogens such as Covid and influenza.

Revenue from local sales alone has increased tenfold from €215,000 in 2019 to €2.2m. The firm expects to post local revenue of €3.5m in 2021, said managing director David Byrne, who had originally encountered the technology while working in the automotive sector.

Licensed by the Department of Agriculture, the machines are now used by the HSE, Revenue Commissioners, Garda and a multitude of business settings including restaurants such as Dublin’s Patrick Guilbaud.

Sanity System sells the units but also operates a rental model from €95 per month. Byrne said “a couple of thousand” units had been deployed across the Irish market.

Sanity System has also recently signed deals in Singapore, Czech Republic and Cyprus, and is negotiating with firms in Australia, Hungary, South Africa, Malaysia and Argentina.

“We are very proud of our association with the Irish rowers,” said Byrne. The jubilant gold and bronze medal winning team has used the units to ensure clean air at recent regattas ahead of the Olympics, at their high-performance gym at the National Rowing Centre in Ovens, Co Cork, and at their training camp in Italy.

Rowers face particular challenges with air quality in training centres because of the damp, humid environment. The IRFU also uses the system in the home dressing rooms of the Aviva Stadium and in their medical rooms and on the team bus.