TEKNEGOSHOW DAAN PARA IPAKILALA ANG PRODUKTO AT SERBISYO NG ITDI

INILUNSAD nitong Ika 8 ng Hulyo 2021 ng Industrial Technology Development Institute ng Department of Science and Technology ang TEKNEGOSHOW Special Edition na naglalayong maging daan upang maipakilala ang mga bagong produkto at serbisyo ng ITDI sa publiko.

Ang nasabing bertwal na paglulunsad ay sinaksihan kapwa ng mga opisyales ng ITDI at DOST buhat sa kanilang tanggapan sa Taguig. Bukod sa AMCen-MATDEV at I-SALT ay kabilang sa mga tinalakay. Sa kabila ng nakita lamang ito sa facebook, maaring masabi na ang kaparehong mga programang ganito ay may malaking maitutulong sa ppopularisasyon ng agham sa mga kabataan.

Alam natin na ang agham ay nasa atin paligid lamang, magkaganon man ay nananatili pa ring isang hindi madaling disiplina ito para sa maraming kabataan at siyang nakakintal na sa kanilang mga kaisipan kaya ang pagsasama ng teknolohiya sa negosyo ay isang na ayong kaparaanan para sa kanyang popularisasyon.

 Naroon si Dr. Annabelle Briones, ang Director of ITDI at dahil ito ang una nilang pagtatanghal ay inaasahan na magiging kaabang abang sa mga stakeholders ang kanilang mga susunod pang episodes.///Michael Balaguer, 09262261791, konekted@diaryongtagalog.net and michaelbalaguer@yahoo.co.uk

DOST Sec. de la Peña banners PH R&D programs at the UNCTAD’s Session on Technology and Innovation Report 2021
By Karen Lou Mabagos, DOST-ITCU

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, participate as a speaker in the UNCTAD’s 68th Trade and Development Board Session on Technology and Innovation Report 2021 held on 23 June 2021.

UNCTAD recognizes the Philippines as one of the top overperformers  worldwide, second only to India, in terms of frontier technologies readiness index. This is reflected in the Technology and Innovation Report 2021 published by the United Nations through UNCTAD.

Secretary de la Peña, as a panelist, shared the Philippines’ experiences in promoting and investing in innovation through providing grants in research and development (R&D); assisting communities, startups, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and enhancing facilities in frontier technologies.

The Secretary specifically featured the following R&D programs: DOST’s CRADLE Program or Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage the Philippine Economy, BIST or Business Innovation Through Science and Technology Program, and NICER Program or Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D. On enhancing facilities in frontier technologies, the Secretary mentioned the Nutritional Genomics Laboratory, Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL), Electronic Product Development Center (EPDC), Metrology Center Facility devoted to Chemistry, Modular Multi Industry Innovation Center, Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMCen), Advanced Mechatronics Robotics & Industrial Automation Laboratories (AMERIAL), Green Packaging Center, and the Simulated Packaging Testing Center.

Secretary de la Peña concluded his statement by calling on the United Nations and its member states to close the gap within and between countries, to work on universal internet access, public-private partnership to upskill the workers in frontier technologies, continue to invest heavily in education, and strengthen international cooperation.

This has been the fifth invitation in the second quarter of 2021 that the science secretary received to speak at an event in the United Nations. 


[1] Overperformance by gain in ranking position are measured taking the difference in positions between the
actual index rankings and the estimated index rankings based on per capita income, TIR 2021[2] The country readiness index takes into account technological capacities related to physical investment, human capital and technological effort, and covers national capacities to use, adopt and adapt these technologies, TIR 2021
Reference:

United Nations. (2021). Technology and Innovation Report 2021 (978-92-1-005658-8). https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/tir2020_en.pdf 

DOST welcomes 30 OFW-beneficiaries from MIMAROPA to train under iFWD PH program
By: Athena Colline Verdey, DOST-MIMAROPA

The Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA (DOST-MIMAROPA) welcomes the first batch of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the MIMAROPA region as beneficiaries of the Innovations for Filipinos Working Distantly from the Philippines (iFWD PH) through a virtual onboarding activity held last month, via zoom.  iFWD PH is a DOST program that provides opportunities for the OFWs and their families to establish technology-based enterprises.
 
MIMAROPA’s first batch is comprised of 30 OFWs who now form part of iFWD PH’s Batch Malikhain – DOST’s third batch of beneficiaries for 2021 composed of OFWs from various regions.  Of the 30 OFWs, four are from Occidental Mindoro, seven from Oriental Mindoro, five from Marinduque, two from Romblon, and 12 from Palawan. Most of them, 23 in all, are engaged in agriculture and aquaculture while seven are in food processing.
 
In her welcome remarks, DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director, Dr. Ma. Josefina P. Abilay emphasized the package of technology interventions that will be given through the iFWD PH program which include capacity building sessions; technical assistance on product development; access to DOST facilities for product testing; advisory support for product marketing; funding assistance for equipment acquisition, packaging and labeling; consultancy services; and initial laboratory testing.
 
The onboarding activity with the theme, “Preparing the Herd Towards Science, Technology, and Innovation” was designed to kickstart the journey of the OFW-beneficiaries towards becoming technopreneurs. During the event, an orientation on the two phases of iFWD PH was held that focused on the activities under Phase 1 or the “Capability Building for the Development and Management of Technology-based Enterprise”. During this phase, core business development trainings, basic technical trainings, business concept development, business plan development, and capacity building will be provided. Also, there will be knowledge-sharing sessions with successful beneficiaries of the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) who will also act as Technology-based Entrepreneurship Advisors (TBEAs). Phase 1 will run from June 02 to July 16, 2021.
 
The beneficiaries were initially oriented on how to navigate the iFWD PH portal which will serve as the main platform of the program. 
 
Upon completion of Phase 1, OFWs who will be able to produce a viable business plan will be qualified to proceed for Phase 2 of the program or the “Innovation Funding for Technology-based Enterprise”. The second phase will provide the innovation-enabling fund (iFund) for the OFW-beneficiaries for product development and testing, consultancy services, initial laboratory testing, packaging and labeling design and execution for market testing, and equipment acquisition.
 
The iFWD PH program is DOST’s response to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on displaced OFWs, their dependents, and other Filipinos living abroad who would want to go home or invest in the country for financial stability and security.