For General Public

Unceasing headway of the HIRANG Internship Program with Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) amidst COVID-19 crisis

UNCEASING HEADWAY OF THE HIRANG INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), with the continuous support of their mentor, Atty. Anne Mariae Celeste Jumadla, is working in the full swing on the deliverables of the HIRANG Internship Program under the project, “Support to the Commercialization of 500 DOST-Generated Technologies and Strengthening the Country’s Intellectual Property and Technology Portfolios”. The team vigorously delivered outputs despite difficulty of doing remote work due to the implemented Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila by the National Government, and while the restricted-movement protocol is in effect through a work-from-home scheme.

 

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(Skype meeting with the DOST-ASTI Internship team members, deployed staff from DOST-TAPI, and Atty. Anne Celeste Jumadla regarding progress of the HIRANG Internship Program)

 

“The distance with my colleagues during the internship period may be challenging but through the inspiration and encouragement of our mentor, we became more resourceful and patient. Also, through the proper utilization of technology, we have validated that ain’t no mountain high enough to successfully reach goals during the ECQ period.” –Head of the Technology Licensing Office and member of the internship team, Maria Irene S. Amatorio said.

The DOST-ASTI Internship team members started drafting the Valuation Report of the technology, “Remote Sensing and Data Science (DATOS) Help Desk” on. This technology capitalizes on the current advancements of computing technology and applies it in the fields of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science to provide maps and other information for Disaster Risk Reduction applications. From mid-March to April 2020, they conducted customer surveys and interviews with Local Government Units (LGUs) and its Planning and Regulatory Unit, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) offices, National Government Agencies, and Private Analytics companies as part of the market segments in the Lean Canvas Model and Business Model Canvas (BMC).

 

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(DATOS Sugarcane Maps)

 

With the said accomplished documents, Ms. Jocel Mae Hernandez, one of the DOST-ASTI Internship team members, presented DATOS’ total estimated Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) with five (5) years penetration together with its detailed technology costing and pricing. The Internship team members are close to produce the initial draft of the Valuation Report by end of June 2020. Ms. Amatorio also started sourcing out the requirements for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration of the spin-off and drafting the licensing/spin-off terms.

By the same token, guided by Atty. Jumadla’s recommendations, they conducted customer discovery activity through social media for the technology, “KOOHA”, a cost-effective mobile and web application that enables users to contribute real-time participatory data to the scientific community and uses sensor data from internal and external devices tagged in a photo, captures using smartphones and mobile devices which also undergoes the HIRANG Internship Program. Utilizing the power of the Facebook platform, KOOHA page was created wherein various paid advertisements were posted. Currently, the customer discovery on social media is still running while they also conduct customer interviews with private companies.

 

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(Boosted Facebook Advertisement of the KOOHA technolog

 

To strengthen protection of these technologies, with the assistance of the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), the Patent applications of the DATOS Help Desk technology, were filed at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) last 27 February and 06 April 2020. Additionally, the Trademark application of the KOOHA technology was filed and are now solely in the works of applying a software patent application in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The ASTI Internship Team are aiming to accomplish the IP filing by mid-June 2020 before proceeding with the commercialization and technology transfer processes through Technology Licensing Agreement.

 

DOST-TAPI
CZARINA MAEH J. TORRIGOZA