Featured image above shows (from the right) PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico ‘Eric’ C. Paringit; DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr.; Atty. Julianna B. Carbon, president, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commercie and Industry (MBCCI); and PCIEERD Chief Technology Transfer Officer and Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Russel Pili, who presented the Plaques of Appreciation. (Photo: SDN)
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BACOLOD CITY, November 6, 2025 (SDN) — ““What good is a breakthrough if it never breaks through?”
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. asked this rhetorical question here at the SalikSynch: 1st National IMPACT Conference in front of over 400 industry representatives, researchers, technology transfer officers, university leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.
They came from different parts of the country, subscribing to and embracing the event’s theme that promotes “From IMPACT to NXT Horizons: Surging the Next Wave of Knowledge and Technology Transfer.” Solidum delivered the Opening Remarks which as expected carried his science-focused passion and DOST’s push and promotion of “Agham na Ramdam” (Science that is Felt) by Filipinos.
Tomorrow, Friday, the DOST’s second big event, the 9th TBI Summit also in this venue, will commence.
Later in an interview with select reporters from Manila and Davao City, he explained further what he meant by the “breakthrough” he was referring to.
He said the “breakthrough” refers to the inventions and products made through research & development (R&D) which need to be commercialized, put in the market so that more people will benefit.
“That’s what a breakthrough means, that it will break through (hurdles),” the country’s science chief points out. He came all the way from Manila and other DOST and Philippine Council on Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology and Development (PCIEERD) officials including PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico C. Paringit a day after Typhoon Tino smashed through this City of Smiles.
The aftermath of the country’s 20th typhoon to barrel through a nation long weary of weather disturbances did not show in the event participants faces as they celebrated science, technology and innovation (STI) which, in the words of the science chief must benefit the nation — communities, business, industry, and the people on the streets.
Solidum identified the first “breakthrough” as the products, services, and innovation which must be commercialized to benefit many people, “so it will break through the ‘Valley of Death’ of commercialization (and prove) that we can pursue to the end the result of R&D to its commercialization.”
The DOST chief said the “Valley of Death is the gap separating R&D and commercialization as there are still many processes affecting the results of R&D to make the technology more polished and market ready.
“So, this so-called Valley of Death between R&D and commercialization is the one that must be solved by activities that we have to support our R&D organizations, universities and, of course, our inventors. Because producing results is different, be in the market is different, and be successful is also different,” he emphasizes.
In a separate interview, Paringit spoke about the IMPACT conference’s objective, “that’s it, break, not only breakthrough, but break through the breakthroughs of our research products and outputs, but also see to that they find, that means that we have to now look for ways on different technologies, innovations, new solutions find their way to people in a faster, more efficient, and in more robust manner.”
The PCIEERD chief pointed out that the product from research takes a long time before it is seen in stores.
“It takes years. If you researched for three years, you’ve been researching for five years, then add three more years, five years for the technology transfer, commercialization, do market validation, it looks like counterproductive,” Paringit says in the interview as he awaits his turn to make his presentation at the event.
“So, what we need now is the program that will be put out today is to provide for these technologies to be channeled through processes in a more systematic, standardized, and in an efficient manner.”
Why Solidum, Paringit, the other speakers raise the hurdles of commercialization
Giving context to all this, the DOST chief noted the fact that while the country’s universities and laboratories for decades have already come up with research outputs that are world-class, “yet too few of these innovations reach the hands of Filipino communities and industries who could benefit the most from them.”
To address and make sure outputs of the academic and research institutions do not sleep in journals or in shelves of laboratories, as well as turn intellectual property (IP) into inclusive progress, Solidum said the DOST-PCIEERD initiated IMPACT, or the IP Management Program for Academic and Research Institutions Commercializing Technologies.
It has been his wont, he said, that every time he visits a region, he makes it a point to go to state university and college (SUC) or higher education institutions (HEIs) in the area and ask the president. “How do you contribute to the economic development of your province?”
He said this is because “research is not just an academic exercise. It is a public investment. And every public investment must lead to public good.”
He described the conference, SalikSYNC: The 1st National IMPACT Conference as a convergence of minds, missions, and momentum as well as a celebration of how far the science community has reach in building a culture of innovation, and a strong statement about ahead it’s intending to go.
It is by way of IMPACT, Solidum said, that DOST is empowering “academic institutions to transform into centers of knowledge and technology transfer, institutions that not only produce research, but transforms in into products, services, and solutions that address real-world problems. This is why today’s conference is so important.”
SDN – SciTech & Digital News, hearing about the hurdles facing commercialization of R&D outputs or products, asked a random sample of some of the university representatives in the IMPACT event on what is their biggest problem in the Valley of Death.
Here are their answers:
1. University of Mindanao (UM), Davao City: Adoption due to low TRL (technology readiness level) — output from students, prototype, but still looking for higher TRL, market ready. Funds kulang pa (not enough) to test the product. — Jetron Adtoon, TBI Manager
2. Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Laoag City, Ilocos Norte: Commitment of technology developers in commercializing their research outputs and low adoption rate of protected technologies. — Anonymous
3. University of Santo Tomas (UST): Support to fund prototyping and cooperation of inventors to follow through technology commercialization. — Associate Prof. Michael Jorge Peralta, ITSO Manager
4. University of Southern Mindanao (USM), Kabacan, Cotabato (Associate Prof. Jalaloden B. Marohom): Low adoption of technologies, especially those developed with no market assessment conducted. The technologies should be market-ready to increase adoption. — Associate Prof. Jalaloden B. Marohom
In the interview, Paringit assured that if the researchers ask for help, “we should be active looking for (solutions). How do you make it pass the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the Bureau of Products Standards (BPS). It is difficult to hurdle the regulatory requirements to ensure (the product) is safe and clean. That also need to be supported.”
Not to worry, obviously, because DOST-PCIEERD’s IMPACT is making impact in the country’s science community as Paringit reported in his presentation.
He showed in one of his slides the wide adoption of the implementation of the program by SUCs and HEIs, which in the 1st Batch had 10 IMPACT Grantees receiving a total of Php31.9 million; 2nd Batch, 14 IMPACT Grantees, Php42.2 million; and 3rd Batch, 3 IMPACT Grantees worth Php7.8 million (the three grantees are DOST attached agencies).
In sum, the IMPACT Program funded 34 /34 institutions with institutionalized IP policies worth Php109 million, and over 600 technologies audited and/or assessed.
Paringit said the DOST through PCIEERD is contributing to academic and research institutions’ innovation capabilities, and one of the ways is through the IMPACT Program.
Still in his presentation, widely received and applauded, it was learned that the IMPACT Program seeks to increase utilization and commercialization of research, which it does by providing fund support for the establishment of its technology protection and transfer policies/processes, capability building of of university tech transfer officers, conduct of audit/assessment of the results of the researches, disclosure and protection of intellectual properties, and promotion, licensing of technologies.
Through the IMPACT Program, there were 3,089 IPs filed, 2,122 IPs granted, 1,028 TLAs (transfer license agreements, and 34 institutions.
Displayed in the venue at Citadines Hotel are 36 research outputs of PCIEERD’s IMPACT Program. They are all ready for adoption. — EDD K. USMAN (©)
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May need updates for more photographs, information.
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (©)