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DOST-PCAARRD and APP spearhead the first National Spin-Off Policy Development Training Workshop

Cherry B. Bundalian, Dannah Jean C. Mendoza, Margaret Ann Bettina T. Papag, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services 15 May 2025

DOST-PCAARRD’s Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD), and Association of PAQE Professionals, Inc. (APP) at the Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Spin-Off Policy Training Workshop on April 22-24, 2025. (Image credit: TTPD, DOST-PCAARRD)

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), through the Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD), collaborated with the Association of PAQE Professionals, Inc. (APP) in hosting the “Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Spin-Off Policy Training Workshop” from April 22 to 24, 2025.

This is the first spin-off policy development workshop conducted at the national level. It aimed to empower institutions under the RAISE Program to design responsive and strategic policies and agreements that can transform agri-aqua outputs of researchers into real-world solutions through successful spin-offs.

A total of 91 agencies involving state universities and colleges (SUCs) and research and development institutes (RDIs) from 14 regions under the RAISE Program participated in the workshop.

Participants from RAISE Regions 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 joined the workshop on Zoom with onsite participation. (Image credit: RAISE Central Luzon, RAISE Bicol Region, RAISE Central Visayas, RAISE Eastern Visayas, RAISE Western Mindanao, RAISE Northern Mindanao, and RAISE Southern Mindanao, and RAISE Caraga)

During the opening of the workshop, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora expressed his gratitude to APP and TTPD for their effective collaboration and implementation of valuable initiatives. He also mentioned that establishing a well-defined spin-off policy is key to unlocking the commercial potential of research outputs. Meanwhile, APP president and chief executive officer (CEO) and managing partner of Hechanova Group, Inc. (HCI) Atty. Editha R. Hechanova mentioned that APP had great hopes that the vision of SUCs and RDIs in having a spin-off policy will come to fruition.

Atty. Jerry C. Serapion, manager of the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and APP Trustee, led the workshop. He also crafted and provided the spin-off policy template used by the agencies during the workshop.

The facilitators of the workshop were Atty. Hechanova; Atty. Misael F. Costes, APP vice president for externals and HCI consultant; Director Noel A. Catibog, APP vice president for internals and TTPD chief; and Engr. Theda Mae S. Dumali, APP member and Project Director of De La Salle University Innovation and Technology Office (DITO).

The three-day online workshop featured a series of sessions and discussions covering the legal framework and foundations of spin-off policy, criteria for meritorious cases and researcher eligibility, identification of valuable intellectual property (IP), and institutional support and governance structures. It also includes a focused discussion on the essentials of spin-off agreements. Participants engaged in writing sessions aligned with these topics, receiving real-time feedback from expert resource persons.

Dir. Catibog reminded the participants that the most effective policies are those that are responsive to the unique needs and contexts of institutions. “Take the time to customize and align them with your organizational priorities, resources, and innovation goals,” he said.

At the end of the training, each participating institution drafted a spin-off policy and a spin-off agreement tailored to their specific needs. Additionally, an action plan for policy approval and implementation were prepared.

DOST-PCAARRD, TTPD, APP, and RAISE regional participants during the last day of the Spinoff Policy Training Workshop 2025. (Image credit: TTPD, DOST-PCAARRD)

DOST-PCAARRD and APP continue to collaborate on future RAISE training initiatives, including upcoming workshops on IP valuation and patent mining. These workshops will equip RAISE-implementing agencies with the skills to assess the monetary value of intellectual property assets and extract valuable insights and opportunities from existing patent data. These capabilities are essential for effective technology transfer and commercialization.