The SOCCSKSARGEN Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development Consortium (SOXIEERDC), and Startup Innovation Consortium to Accelerate Development in SOCCSKARGEN (SICAD-SOX) conducted a joint study mission with the Western Visayas Consortium for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (WVCIEERD), and the Unified Movement in Western Visayas to Accelerate Startup and Spin-off Development (UMWAD). This study mission aimed to learn about the general policies and procedures, best practices, processes, and activities conducted by the WVCIEERD and UMWAD to improve and strengthen their operations.
As part of the study mission, the delegates from Region XII paid a courtesy visit to the DOST VI regional office where they learned the various R&D initiatives in the region led by DOST. They also had a dialogue with WVCIEERD and UMWAD members who discussed the consortia’s best practices, insights and possible collaborations.
Moreover, the delegates visited some of the major R&D and TBI facilities of various institutions in Western Visayas such as the Business Incubator Nurturing Homegrown Innovations (BINHI) TBI in West Visayas State University (WVSU); Wind Turbine Testing Laboratory in Central Philippine University (CPU); KWADRA Technology Business Incubator (TBI) in Iloilo Science and Technology University Main Campus (ISATU); Center for Advance New Materials, Engineering and Emerging Technology (CANMEET), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Laboratory, Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (C2B2), and Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3) in the University of San Agustin (USA); Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC) in ISAT U Miag-ao Campus; Coastline 5023 Fisheries TBI, Center for Mollusks, and Philippine Genome Center (PGC) at the Regional Research Center (RRC) in the University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV Miag-ao); ATBI, Fisheries and Food Research Development Center (FFRDC), Food on the Road Innovation and Processing Facility (Food TRIP) in Capiz State University (CapSU); Agribusiness Incubator (ABI) in CapSU Burias Campus; Iloilo Satellite Ground Receiving Station, and Knowledge Center for Weather, Atmospheric, Astronomical and Geographical Observation (KWAAGO) in ISAT U Dumangas.
The delegates are composed of representatives from National Government Agencies (NGAs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), Provincial Local Government Units (LGUs), and private sector in SOCCSKSARGEN which are member institutions of the SOXIEERDC and SICAD-SOX.
The study mission has led the participating consortia to the possibility of adapting the organizational structure of an Intellectual Property Management Office particularly that of the Capiz State University and adapting the Harmonized Intellectual Property Policies and Technology Transfer Protocol for SUCs. Furthermore, a memorandum of understanding on the exchange of experts and the use of facilities between these consortia from Region XII and Region VI is being looked forward to. (CMLAgbas/RDIMS)