by Alex Roldan
During this year’s orientation of postgraduate students of the University of Southeastern Philippines – College of Government, Management and Economics, Prof. Jolly Laboy who represented the MBA program revealed that the university has a collection of many original innovations that are gathering dust in the institution’s archives. He stressed the need to patent these innovations and to gain from it to support the needed resources of the university.
In developed countries, universities are the main force to keep the growth performance of their economies. It assumes the responsibility of continuing research to develop new products, improve processes and others towards commercialization. Technically, research professors are entrepreneurs whose outputs are not only important to firms but to the whole nation. However, this role is still ambiguous in the Philippine setting.
For one, the policy of the country to commercialize innovations is not clear. Universities, while they recognize the importance of innovation to the country’s development, have very limited resources to support their works toward commercialization phase. Technical viability of university research is a waste until it has commercial application or value.
The value of research and development for any country is as important as its natural resources. Economically advanced countries owe its present status from strong research and development. In fact, emerging markets in Asia are harnessing the potential of innovation in science and technology to attain economic growth. China for this year could surpass US and Japan combined in patent publication in both number and basic total. India, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and other countries are following the same strategic path to enhance economic performance.
A case in point is the strong performance of electronic and automotive products from emerging markets that threaten the dominance of US and Japan. Republic of Korea has Hyundai and Samsung, Haier and Lenovo of China, Asus and Acer of Taiwan, and Tata Nano of India. These countries have effectively sustained their competitiveness through significant investment in research and development and most importantly bring these R&D outcomes to the market.
There are lessons here for our country, particularly to our industrial aspirations.
First, is to re-evaluate are our key economic drivers. Even if we have achieved some level of economic growth, our competitive advantage such as low cost of labor, resource availability and capital incentives are plainly unsustainable. We have to strive to bring new products and services to the market using innovative approaches. Innovation should be our next source of growth performance. There is no other way for us except to accept the fact that moving towards knowledge and innovation-based economy is our only way.
Second, innovation, technology and commercialization agenda must be the country’s major development strategy. Even though not enough to make a miracle, focus on operations and bringing the research results to the market and users is important. This will encourage researchers to do their best.
The major challenge is on how to bring these ideas to the market. This is not easy as it sounds. The burden lies on the government to make the necessary policies and support, the universities, research institutes and industries to commercialize research outcomes. The business of commercialization is not straightforward.
Nevertheless, we have to make the necessary adjustments as soon as possible before we are left in the cold. We have to catch the train so to speak. Many of the researchers are now turning to the web for funding, that even their deep sense of nationalism could only do very little.
oOo
Finally, Lintang Bedol and ex-governor Zaldy Ampatuan of Maguindanao revealed how they rigged the elections in the province.
What is common in their statements? They both wanted to get back to their patron who failed to cleanse them of their criminal acts before the change of government administration.
The public has already known all their revelations long time ago. So, what is new?
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