We’ll Breathe Fully And Deeply

Apodis d.o.o. is part of Germany’s Apodis Group, which has spent 20 years successfully dealing with air and liquid filtration systems. Its core activity in Serbia is the manufacturing of HEPA 14 filters

It was four years ago, in an effort to remove her hometown of Belgrade from the list of world cities with the most polluted air, that Sofija Đorđević decided to launch the “Breathe Freely” mission, in cooperation with German company Rod Holding. She was led at that time, but also today, by the need to do something good for her own people.

“Breathe freely” is your personal mission that you launched in 2019. How did we end up having to fight for clean air and the ability to breathe normally?

— It was just a few years ago, in 2019, that I, like all other Belgraders, found myself struggling to catch my breath in my hometown, which topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities. In my search for a solution, I went to Stuttgart, one of Europe’s greenest cities, and was surprised by how much one city deals with the needs of its residents, how much it takes care of its citizens. The way they arrange the greenery is unbelievable, and I was especially fascinated by the fact that air purifiers with HEPA filters were installed at every meter on the streets.

That need to do something more for my own people was further reinforced during the pandemic, while my husband,

Dragan, in his fight for his own life, relied on my idea to donate Apodis purifiers to introduce to the hospital system in order to create the most sterile conditions possible for both patients and staff.

What has changed since then? The pandemic has abated and summer has arrived, so the air is not pollut- ed, but you are continuing what you started?

— The air quality index in Serbia still isn’t good, so we’re still topping the list of the worst cities, which is why I founded Apodis as a company for the production of HEPA 14 filters that clean the air of 99.995% of dust, pollen, bacteria and viruses. The best-known Apodis products are the Air Diamond air condition- er and the Air Guard air purifier, which – thanks to the Hepa filter – eliminate germ contamination and ensure the highest possible air purity. Air Diamond is an air conditioning unit that’s used in operating theaters, intervention rooms, reception areas and intensive care units. The recipient of an innovation award from the state of Baden-Württemberg, it satisfies all prescribed medical standards. The Air Guard air purifier can be used in offices, halls, restaurants, hotels, residential units, etc., while its design can be fully adapted to suit the customer.

Do you think Belgraders will soon be able to breathe fully and deeply again?

— As someone who has spent a large part of their career in the most important city institutions dealing with the population, I’m really able to recognize the needs of my fellow citizens, while apart from that, and even more importantly, I’m willing to do everything in my power, with great enthusiasm and energy, to ensure Belgrade breathes again. It is for this reason that this July 10th will be remembered as the date when HEPA 14 filters started being produced in Serbia, and we will continue our mission. We are dedicated and efficient, our customer orientation is unrivalled, and individual support is our core business principle.