RP: 'Weak link' in technology transfer, innovations, policies

The Philippines ranked 71st out of the 125 countries in the world that lacked the readiness to adopt domestic and international technologies due to the existing weaknesses in the country's technology transfer and innovations policies.

Department of Science and Technology director Bernie Justimbaste said that most developed countries like the US, Japan, Europe and recently India, have a strong productivity and growth in their industries because of their sound scientific innovations and policies on technology transfer.

Justimbaste, during the recently held Consultation on the Policy Framework on Technology Transfer, said that there is a need to establish a comprehensive national policy framework for the transfer of technologies generated from publicly funded research in the country.

"The challenge therefore, is to address our weaknesses and major constraints to technology transfer in our country that include weak public-private collaboration in research and development; lack of harmonized, coordinated and integrated technology transfer system; the absence of an institutional mechanism that would resolve issues on technology ownership and information sharing; weak fund support to Science and Technology; and lack of resources and infrastructure for technology transfer," Justimbaste added.

With these challenges, DOST and other councils propose for the adoption of certain measures that allow the transfer of exclusive control over many government funded inventions to universities and businesses operating with federal contract for the purpose of further development and commercialization.

There should also be measures to provide appropriate incentives to Science and Technology workers to encourage mobility from one sector to another, and the allocation of technology transfer fund that will serve as a leverage fund for partnership and networking with stakeholders. - Ferliza C. Contratista