Int’l experts present marketing, financing best practices
16 May 2008, Makati City – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will hold the first National Conference on Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization on May 21 and 22 at the Renaissance Makati City Hotel. The two agencies, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, to enhance the capacity of state and private universities and colleges in using intellectual property (IP) assets to increase investments and generate employment opportunities, particularly in the regions.
“One of the major factors that hinder commercialization of technology is the lack of awareness on how the IP system can benefit academic and research and development institutions in the country,” Atty. Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr., Director General of IP Philippines, said. “This conference, a first of its kind in the Philippines, jumpstarts a series of projects and activities that support technology commercialization,” he added.
The two-day conference – organized in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development - Economic Modernization through Efficient Reforms and Governance Enhancement (EMERGE) – gathers high level academic professionals from the seven centres of excellence, state colleges and universities that are members of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) consortia. The Philippine IP Policy Strategy has identified universities and research and development institutions (RDI) as the innovation hubs of the country.
A pool of international experts provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and European Patent Office will present the international perspectives of IP and Technology Commercialization, focusing on protection, marketing and financing strategies.
Filipino experts, on the other hand, will present the state of IP commercialization in the country, experiences of academic institutions in crafting and implementing IP policies, roles of the government and private sector in IP commercialization through policies, programs and legislation. Some of the local speakers include Representative Joseph Emilio A. Abaya who will discuss the Technology Transfer Act of 2008; Dr. Graciano P. Yumul, Jr., DoST Undersecretary for Research and Development and; Mr. Virgilio R. Angelo, Chairman and CEO of Small Business Guarantee Financing Corporation (SBGFC).
“The conference also serves as a venue for establishing linkages among various IP stakeholders such as universities and RDI, financial institutions and venture capitalists, government institutions and entrepreneurs to encourage the use of IP for technology commercialization,” Cristobal said. “To be globally competitive, the Philippines should be a creator, innovator, and user of new technologies. IP Philippines will undertake follow-through activities that will support this sector. In the next three years, the office targets that five percent of all issued local patents should be in the commercialization stage,” he added.
Universities and research and development institutions is one of the eight major sectors in the Philippine IP Policy Strategy. Promoting commercialization of patents generated by these institutions forms part of the four-point objectives of the policy strategy for the sector. Biodiversity and genetic resources; indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP), folklore and geographic indications; copyright and other creative industries; public health; small- and medium-sized enterprises; patent reform and; IP capacity-building and heightened enforcement complete the seven other sectors in the Philippine IP Policy Strategy.
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Manila Bulletin Online (5/31/2008)