Air sterilization solutions provider A.Virtual won a special award from the Korea Association of Technology Commercialization in this year’s presentation for the “new growth engine industry commercialization supporting project,” Monday.

This project connects small and medium-sized enterprises specialized in the promising industrial sectors -- electric and autonomous vehicles, internet of things, renewable energies, biohealth, semiconductors and displays -- with technology commercialization consulting agencies. The enterprises then can receive subsidies of up to 12 million won ($9,200) from the government.

The project is hosted by KATEC and supported by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology -- an institute affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy.

During the event, A.Virtual displayed its cutting-edge air purification and sterilization system based on a nano semiconductor, a photocatalysis that absorbs visible UV light to decompose detrimental pollutants in the air and release purified air back into the room.

Protected with some 40 intellectual property rights, A.Virtual’s nano semiconductor technology boasts 90 times higher efficiency than those of its competitors, the company said.

Its air purification and sterilization solutions have already finished verification through 11 tests of removing volatile organic compounds from the air.

In addition to air sterilization, the company is planning to apply nano semiconductor technology to water purification solutions as well as green-hydrogen production. Emerging as one of the promising solutions for renewable energy, hydrogen can also be produced via solar water splitting using semiconductors that absorb light energy to dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

A.Virtual is also strengthening its position in the overseas market, especially the Middle East market by securing a contract worth 10 billion won with Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, the firm added.

“Buoyed by this technology commercialization supporting project, we will foray into the global market with our cutting-edge safe-air solution,” said A.Virtual CEO Kim Tae-jun.