National policy framework on tech transfer pushed

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is pushing for the enactment of a national policy framework on technology transfer which aims to address the limited number of locally generated and patented technologies being used by local industries.

“Once enacted into law, the proposed national policy framework hopes to address some problems nagging technology transfer in the Philippines, particularly on technologies generated from publicly funded research,” said Dr. Albert Aquino, director of Socio-economics Research Division of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development’s (PCARRD).

Aquino said these problems include weak public-private research and development (R&D) collaboration; lack of harmonized, coordinated, and integrated technology transfer system; conflicting issues on technology ownership and information sharing; and lack of science and technology (S&T) support and resources for technology transfer, among others.

Aquino said publicly funded and generated technologies often do not meet the requirements of local industries, forcing them to acquire technologies elsewhere.

To facilitate the transfer of technologies generated by government research and development institutes (RDIs) to the industry, Aquino said the proposed national technology transfer policy might adopt certain features of the US Bayh-Dole Act.

The Bayh-Dole Act allows the transfer of exclusive control over many government-funded technologies to universities and businesses operating with federal contracts for the purpose of further development and commercialization.

Under the Bayh-Dole Act, contracting universities and businesses that generated technologies from publicly funded research are permitted to exclusively license inventions to other parties.

Under the proposed national policy framework, public and private RDIs are allowed to retain the title over intellectual properties generated from publicly funded research.

But inability to transform resulting technologies into commercial products, processes or services within a reasonable period shall give the government the right to withdraw from the RDIs the right over the intellectual properties, the DOST said.