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For a few years now, VERT has been a socially aware company. Initially, not as a business strategy, but out of a legitimate concern of the company owners as citizens, who are always attentive to collective issues. Ever since, VERT has sought to develop products and practices that generate improvements to the community. Aware of modern business management trends and global changes, VERT believes that economic growth will only be possible with competitive business strategies through socially sound, environmentally sustainable and economically viable solutions. Therefore, the company seeks to do businesses so as to become a driving force of social development.
1. R&D for a product against damages caused by gas leaks
In 2002, VERT decided to invest in the research and development of a product that would reduce the damages caused by natural gas leaks. The so-called iNose, or artificial nose, is now in the testing stage and should be released later this year. It is an electronic device consisting of physical sensors and smart software that automatically monitors the concentration of natural gas odorants in the environment and is able to detect how much gas is leaking. This prevents health problems and accidents involving explosions.
On VERT’s request, iNose was developed by the Federal University of Pernambuco’s Computing Center, which is the oldest research unit for artificial neural networks in Latin America. It is being co-financed by Research and Projects Financing (FINEP), Engevix Engenharia and VERT. The pilot project is currently being developed at Comgás.
Nowadays, the control of gas leaks in the utilities is performed by human beings, who are trained to identify and classify odorous compounds in the natural gas. This activity causes many problems to their health, including headaches and nausea, as the odorant compound is toxic. Moreover, the classification is not accurate, since human olfaction is susceptible to errors, which leads to an increased risk of gas leaks. What’s more: these professionals are costly for gas utilities. To avoid saturation of olfaction, decreased perception and health problems, rhinologists cannot conduct successive tests because a rotation of analyses is necessary. And the training they complete to develop the olfactory ability is held abroad. No such training programs are available in Brazil.
In addition to being toxic, odorous compounds are highly flammable; react violently with strong oxidizing agents; sulphur dioxide, acid and base reducing agents and alkali metals; cause thermal decomposition producing flammable and toxic products, which is poisonous not only to human beings, but also to the environment in case of a leak.
iNose may be the solution to all of these problems, and it can be used on oil rigs, oil and gas pipelines, refining plants, and distribution networks. This electronic device can expand the possibilities for monitoring the natural gas being transported, allowing gas odorization to be conducted according to the environmental features of the pipeline facilities. Regions with low pollution rates may receive lower odorant concentrations, thus reducing the potential corrosion to equipment and the toxicity of gas supplies.
The usefulness of the device can also be extended to other security solutions, such as identification of chemicals, drugs and explosives.
2. Investments in culture and education
In the month of the 50th anniversary of Brasilia – April 2010 –, VERT sponsored release of the book “Brasília 2030 – A Reconstrução” (Brasilia 2030 – The Reconstruction), written by Paulo Castelo Branco, and donated 1,500 issues to public schools and the Federal District Secretariat of Culture’s Mala do Livro program. The book is now in the second edition and was released by publisher Dom Quixote. It is a critique of the distortion of Brasilia’s Plano Piloto, the area listed as World Heritage. It is a wake-up call regarding the potential deterioration of living standards in Brasilia if no action is taken on a timely manner.
The initiative was a way of paying tribute to the Federal Capital for everything it has provided to the company over its 13 years. VERT is a daughter of Brasilia, where it had the opportunity to grow and bring modernity to other local businesses and the Federal Government by means of its information technology products and services.
The purpose of the initiative was to contribute to the education of local children to enable them to build a more promising and sustainable future to the Federal Capital than that reported in the book. The book is a reflection on the importance of preserving Brasilia’s urban project by taking the reader to a rather unpleasant future where the city has been destroyed as the result of negligence of residents. Paulo Castelo Branco provides a warning in relation to real-estate speculation and the inevitable decline in local living standards if steps are not taken on time.
3. Donation of furniture to a public school
In January 2010, VERT bought new furniture for its HQ office in Brasilia. So it decided to donate the old furniture – still in perfect conditions – to the Vargem Bonita Elementary School, a public school that serves 702 students in the Parkway district. Donations included two office desks, twelve Danna Day table chairs, four Danna Day office chairs, a roundtable, a reception desk, a Blindex glass box, and 11 meters of office partitions.
“With the new furniture, some people will come in here and thinks it’s a private school,” says deputy principal Rosalina Cavalcante da Ponte. Right at the reception, the office table and the Blindex glass box impart an elegant look to the site. The partitions made it possible to split the management area into five divisions: administrative affairs, pedagogical affairs, principal’s office, deputy-principal’s office, and technical support. “Everything is more organized now,” says Rosaline.
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