The Negros Oriental State University and four multi-purpose cooperatives signed Wednesday an agreement for the commercialization of intellectual property or technology designed specifically for each business.
NORSU President Dr. Noel Yasi signed the Technology Licensing Agreement with representatives from San Julio Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative; Mag-uumang Katawhan sa Malaiba Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Ramrod Agrarian Reform Cooperative; and MP’s Bakeshoppe.
The agreement is under NORSU’s Intellectual Property & Technology Business Management office, with funding from the Department of Science & Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research & Development .
Dr. Johann Heinrich Malongo, project leader of NORSU IPTBM, said the initiative aids institutions, agencies, and most especially micro, small and medium enterprises to protect their intellectual property and push for commercialization.
The IPTBM is under the Regional Aqua Innovation Systems Enhancement program involving some 91 institutions, government agencies and state universities and colleges including NORSU, Malongo said.
“This is for agri-aqua and natural resources and would help MSMEs on intellectual property management gearing towards commercialization,” he added.
Malongo said the program includes technology transfer, research and development, assistance on patenting and application for a license to operate from the Food and Drug Association, and improve productivity, among others.
NORSU President Yasi, meanwhile, said “this will benefit NORSU because we can publish researches but the bigger benefit is for the community because the output of the researches can be used for commercialization”.
The counterpart of NORSU is manpower, the facilities, the IPTBM office, and researchers.
Malongo said DOST-PCAARD has downloaded some PHP2.4 million to NORSU IPTBM for the program, which started in October 2023 and will end in September this year.
The agreement stipulates that the parties agree “to join forces to adapt, utilize, make, produce and/or commercialize the technology and/or the product.
Some of the technology/products include ginger cookie sandwich, composition of stuffed sweet dough buns, method for producing squash-infused bread bun with cheesy squash filling, and a formulation of gluten-free baked brownies from taro root.
NORSU officially unveiled the marker of its IPTBM office with DOST-PCAARRD director Noel Catibog in attendance. (PNA)
