Sec. Solidum banners local technologies and innovations in the 2022 NSTW hybrid celebration
With less than a week to go, Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provided a great preview of what the public would expect from the 2022 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration.
Slated from November 23-27, 2022, at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, carrying the theme, "Agham at Teknolohiya: Kabalikat sa Maunlad at Matatag na Kinabukasan", Sec. Solidum shared that this year’s NSTW celebration will highlight the efforts and innovative solutions offered by the local scientific community spearhead by the DOST, its attached agencies and the regions.
In his interview in CNN Philippines' The Final World hosted by veteran journalist Rico Hizon, Sec. Solidum said that 2022 NSTW will be filled with exciting techno-exhibits and relevant and interesting scientific fora, webinars, and career talks that are related to energy, transport solutions and logistics, agriculture and food security, health, job creation, blue and green economy, environment and sustainability, education, and international linkages.
“First, there are various activities related to the National Science and Technology Week celebration such as exhibits focusing on eight clusters addressing the socioeconomic agenda from energy, transport, and logistics as we will be showcasing some prototypes of e-tricycle and e-jeepney including the technology on fast charging of these vehicles,” shared Sec. Solidum.
He also added that the 2022 NSTW will also focus on research and development (R&D) projects and services related to agriculture, food security, health, environment, water, and blue economy and most importantly job creation.
“DOST’s focus also aside from wealth creation, we also need to protect the wealth that we generate. So, we also have wealth protection initiatives related to DOST-PAGASA and DOST-PHIVOLCS would do. Then we need also to make sure that human resources would be supported through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education,” said Sec. Solidum.
OneDOST4U: Eyeing one narrative for its customers
Also, in the same interview. Sec. Solidum shared that while the science department still using the previous tagline, Science for the People, but since DOST is very big organization in terms of number of attached agencies which is 18 and with 16 regional offices and 80 Provincial Science and Technology Centers, they are introducing a new tagline dubbed as OneDOST4u.
“We (DOST) need to make sure that we collaborate on specific research themes that could resulted to have one narrative for our customers or target beneficiaries and clients. That is why we had tagline OneDOST4U,” said Secretary Solidum.
Transforming R&D funded projects to commercialized products
Sec. Solidum also shared that his marching order way back in July was to refocus the various programs of DOST and align it with the socioeconomic agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
“So, what we are trying to do is to fine tune what we have already started and add some more projects that we can really help in the agenda and one of the things that I wanted is really to transform our research and development and innovations to commercialization. For example, the universities with thesis and research can publish but we hope that they can commercialize the innovations that they have done,” said Sec. Solidum.
Sec. Solidum believes that DOST needs to make sure that higher education institutions and innovators know the business model of their projects and train them in developing their prototypes to commercial services and products.
“So, what we did in the past administration was to start developing technology business innovation hubs in the higher education institutions where we provide financial grants to the university so that we can attract startups in their institutions, and we need to make sure that good products are translated to commercialization,” explained Sec. Solidum.
Lastly, the science chief said that DOST have also started putting up startup grants to make sure other innovative and creative ideas can be funded to establish technology-based enterprises and create more job opportunities for many Filipinos.
For more information, especially on the complete list of activities and technologies to be featured during the 2022 NSTW, please visit the www.nstw.dost.gov.ph or its official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/nstwdost). For all who would like to visit the exhibits and other activities for the five-day S&T celebration, you may register through this link: https://nstwregistration.dost.gov.ph/preregister.
You may also send your inquiry to nstw.secretariat@gmail.com and nstwpromotions@gmail.com.