The Innovation Technology Support Office (ITSO) of the University recently secured a four-million-peso grant from the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) to further capacitate it in the areas of technology transfer operations, intellectual property (IP) protection, and IP licensing.
UST ITSO Manager Assoc. Prof. Michael Jorge N. Peralta, said that the grant, officially known as the IP Management for Academic Institutions Commercializing Technologies (IMPACT), covers the one-year period of September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022.
Peralta explained that “the University will be able to transfer research outputs to industry partners for public good through IP licensing. With this, not only do we achieve our goals as a research University, but we also push the nation’s economic and innovative indices by creating innovative outputs that solve society’s problems and create more jobs for the common Filipino.”
UST pre-qualified for the grant after successful completion of the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office (KTTO) program sponsored by USAID-STRIDE. Peralta, who was one of the facilitators of the said training, said that UST pre-qualified for the grant in January and received approval on May 31, 2021.
The grant will help realize 12 outputs: (1) an updated and revised IP and Technology Transfer Policy together with its implementing rules and regulations and its Operations Manual for the ITSO; (2) a simple assessment and/or audit of the 976 research projects in the last 5 years; (3) Have two licensed technologies in the year; (4) filing of five patents in the year; (5) receive at least ten IP Disclosures; (6) at least one collaborative technology development project between University and Industry partners; (7) Capacity building activities: Tech Transfer 101, Patent Search, Patent Draft, Tech Triage, Business Model Canvassing; Design Thinking, and Developing the Pitch; (8) business modeling workshops for identified University technologies; (9) technology pitch competitions for inventors through Industry Networking Events; (10) a database and inventory of all research projects in the University; (11) an improved ITSO page at the University Website; and (12) a sustainability strategy and development plan.
The funding is seen to further boost ITSO’s operations and ties well with UST’s efforts to intensify innovation, specifically in the areas of healthcare, science and technology, computing sciences, and engineering.
