The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) has approved the Php 69.7 million fund for the implementation of the Phase 2 SUSTAIN IP-TBM program in the 30 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines.

SUSTAIN IP-TBM stands for Support to the University’s Strategies in Technology Acceleration Initiatives by Nurturing the Intellectual Property and Technology Business Management.

This program is composed of five mentor-SUCs: the Cavite State University (CvSU) as the program leader, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Bicol University (BU), Capiz State University (CapSU) and University of Southern Philippines (USeP). Each university has five mentee-SUCs in their respective region.

Dr. Dionisio S. Bucao, project leader and chief of the MMSU’s Innovation and Technology Support Office, said that the program, led by Dr. Teddy Teppora of CvSU, will reinforce PCAARRD’s aim to sustain its initiatives on intellectual property and technology business management, which are imperative as the program hopes to further contribute in sustaining upward trend in the commercialization of agricultural-aquatic innovations in the country.

The kick-off program was held last January 30 at DOST-PCAARRD Innovation and Technology Center (DPITC) wherein 30 participating SUCs from Regions I, IV-A, VI, and XI signed the memorandum of agreement for the SUSTAIN IP-TBM program. 

The program will also collaborate with the Association of PAQE Professionals (APP) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for its implementation.

SUSTAIN IP-TBM Phase 2 will deal with the challenges of sustaining IP-TBM’s initial efforts in protecting, managing and commercializing intellectual properties. 

It will implement a mentor-mentee regional approach, which will involve five mentor-agencies whose Project Leaders have embraced the responsibility of mentoring the IP-TBM offices of the 25 participating consortia member mentee-agencies under them. 

Launched in 2017, IP-TBMs are technology transfer offices in various SUCs that are envisioned to mirror the initiatives of DPITC, which serves as a one-stop hub for technology owners and generators, investors, end-users, and other stakeholders within the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) innovation system. 

Meanwhile, the DOST-PCAARRD, in cooperation with CvSU, launched online the 3rd IP Master Class last July 16. 

Further, MMSU will conduct its IP Master Class and Regional Launching on July 20, 2020, in cooperation with DOST-PCAARRD, APP, CvSU, ILAARDEC, and the five mentee-SUCs in Region 1: University of Northern Philippines (UNP), Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC), and North Luzon Philippines State College (NLPSC) in Ilocos Sur; Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) in La Union; and the Pangasinan State University (PSU) in Lingayen, Pangasinan. (StratCom)