In an initiative carried out by the Tessile and Salute Association and the company Tintoria Piana US, the 2021 edition of the Elsa Piana Award was dedicated to the prevention of outbreaks of biological agents, and in particular to possible improvements in personal protective equipment, in terms of effectiveness and comfort.

Thereby, the NanoMask project, which consisted in developing a material with good filtration capacity for the virus responsible for COVID-19, using biomaterials in order to reduce the environmental impact of this mask, was one of the finalists highlighted by the Elsa Piana Award, in the 2021 edition.