Pinoy Business Coach

With the full support given by the new head of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009 is expected to be carried out with utmost importance to benefit the country’s researchers in advancing more relevant innovations necessary for the country’s development.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo said at the press conference at the recent opening of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) that through the law, research grants are made more accessible to more people.

“The government is funding the researches and is not asking for any money. That’s a really big assistance to the researchers, developers and entrepreneurs who will do the commercialization,” he noted.

The Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009, or Republic Act 10055 (An Act Providing the Framework and Support System for the Ownership, Management, Use, and Commercialization of Intellectual Property Generated from Research and Development Funded by Government and for Other Purposes), aims to motivate researchers to look for R&D institutions for avenues for commercialization, Science Undersecretary Fortunato de la Peña said.

De la Peña added that the DOST, together with the International Property Office (IPO), have to submit to both Houses of Congress the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) on September 9 this year.

“The Act will take effect a few days after they have submitted the IRR. The DOST and IPO will be the ones tasked to jointly draft the IRR,” he said.

He added that they had the first public consultation on July 16 and the second public consultation is scheduled on July 30.

Being a “technoentrepreneur” for 20 years, Montejo stressed that the use of science and technology to create better products, services, solutions to problems is always a good business model.

“And now that we’re in the government, it’s a good business policy or program. Whether we call it innovation, invention or scientific breakthrough, it is always based on the use of science and technology,” he said.

Asked how to market “winner innovations,” Montejo argued that the best marketing practice is to have good products, and that technology is market-driven as innovations are a response to the present needs and demands of the society.

“If a person has a good product, it will sell. Marketing then follows,” he said.

Montejo expressed that for private sector to invest more money in technology, there needs to be a “favorable” climate for them to enter.

With a meager P6-billion budget from the government, he raised the question of what the department has done with the budget.

“I want my department to be result-oriented and with this, it will justify why we need more budget,” he added.

On a similar note, Montejo said in his keynote speech at the NSTW, that if the climate for innovation is conducive the department can count on their research-and-development sector to support and work with local firms to come up with products, services and technologies that are competitive.

“As an encouragement let me assure you that there is money in innovation,” he added.

He vowed that the department, headed by its R&D institutions, would be able show to Filipinos that local technologies work. He encouraged the public to trust and be proud of the DOST’s research outputs, the developed technologies and the services it has extended to everyone.

“All of us should do our share in coming up with new points of intervention along the full race of scientific applications that should lead us to technological breakthroughs that have impact on the economy and especially on our Filipino people,” Montejo said.

An engineer, Montejo believes the use of science and technology for the betterment of society in terms of improved products, services and solutions to problems is a sound business model.

His battle cry, “local technology works,” may be rooted in the pioneering technologies that he developed in his company NWSteel Technologies Inc., including the first locally fabricated equipment for making water well screens; steel pole that was accepted by the Manila Electric Co., National Power Corp. and National Electricity Administration; and gabions used for slope protection and used by the National Irrigation Administration.

He also developed the ship-to-shore cranes now being used in Cagayan de Oro and the first motorized zipline in the world. His latest invention was the robotic car park now being used in Frontera Verde in Tiendesitas.

*A new hope for technopreneurs!