Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler are in talks with Italy’s biggest ventilator manufacturer to help to boost production of the life-saving machines that are urgently needed in the coronavirus crisis, company officials said on Thursday. Italy is at the epicenter of the pandemic and its government has embarked on a big expansion of the number of intensive care beds, many of which will require ventilators to keep patients alive by taking over breathing functions.

Siare Engineering in northern Italy, where deaths are nearing 3,000 and climbing sharply, is in talks with Italian carmakers Fiat Chrysler and Ferrari and Italian parts manufacturer Marelli to make some parts, source others and to possibly help with the assembly of ventilators.