ni Charissa Luci-Atienza
PATULOY ang Department of Science and Technology (DOST) sa paggawa ng “strategic and game-changing” na mga hakbang upang mapalakas ang innovation outputs ng bansa at makatulong na mapabuti ang Philippines’ Global Innovation Index Ranking para sa susunod na taon.
Ito ang siniguro ni DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña sa ginanap na Innovation Forum na pinangunahan ng Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
“We do need more innovators, and we at DOST have made and are still making strategic and game-changing moves to achieve this. For example, we have increased our scholarship offerings at all levels from our Philippine Science High School scholars, to our baccalaureate scholars under the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics), program and particularly the MS/PhD program including the programs where we can send graduate scholars abroad,” aniya. Binanggit niya na sa nakalipas na mga taon, nagawang makahakbang ng Pilipinas sa ilang inobasyon sa kabila ng limitadong resources.
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“Since we have joined the Global Innovation Index Ranking, we have moved from a low of 100 out of 135 countries, we moved gradually and as of 2020, we are already at rank 50 out of 131 countries. I hope that we can still improve this so that by 2022, we will be on top one-third out of all countries,” ani de la Peña.
Habang pinagtuunan, aniya, ng ahensiya ang inobasyon sa edukasyon nitong nakaraang taon, tuon ngayong taon ng DOST ang paraan at mga hakbang kung paano matutugunan ang coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at “having a reset through research, development, and innovation.”
“We also have new ways of delivering human resource development programs or courses online. For example, we have the SPARTA (Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics Research and Development) program which is an online program where people can upskill themselves on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence,” pagbabahagi ng DOST chief. Nabanggit din niya ang pagtaas ng pamumuhunan sa Research & Development.
“I have adopted one very important objective or goal when I came in as the Secretary of the DOST, and that is to achieve inclusive development in the area of science, technology, and innovation. This is the reason why we introduce our program Science4Change which has a number of components.”
Isa sa mga bahagi ng programa ang Niche R&D Centers para sa mga rehiyon “where we support in the establishment and strengthening of research centers in universities and research institutes in national government agencies so that we can have strong R&D capabilities nationwide,” saad pa ni de la Peña.
“It also has a sub-program called RDLead, which is the deployment of national and international Filipino experts who are willing to stay in the regions to help our universities and our R&D institutes in the regions in developing their capabilities in coming up with good science, technology, and innovation projects, and in strengthening their human resource capabilities.” Aniya pa, may hakbang din ang ahensiya na layong palakasin ang kolaborasyon sa pagitan ng mga industriya at research organizations.
Sa ilalim ng Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) Program, tutukuyin ng mga industrial enterprises ang kanilang problema at pipili ng unibersidad o isang research institute na maaaring makatulong sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng research at development, upang makahanap ng solusyon para sa kanilang problemang teknikal, o “develop innovations” sa usapin ng produkto, proseso at teknolohiya.
“We also have the sub-component called Business Innovation through Science and Technology (BIST). This is to assist our enterprises to acquire the needed facilities that they would need in doing R&D within their own companies,” aniya. Idinagdag din niya ang implementasyon ng programa para sa start-up development assistance, na higit pang pinalakas ng pagpapatupad ng Innovative Startup Act and the Philippine Innovation Act.
“This gives the DOST, together with DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), the mandate to offer assistance to our technology startups. And of course, the very important strategy of collaboration. Our collaboration is not limited to industry, academe, government, and civil society collaboration within our country. We have also been more aggressive in terms of collaboration with international partners,” paliwanag pa ni de la Peña.
