Representatives of the Philippines and Japan have assured that the Philippines and Japan collaboration in Science Technology & Innovation will continue and will be further expanded.
According to a recent press release, the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato de la Peña met with Japanese Information Technology Science Minister and Minister of State for “Cool Japan” Naokazu Takemoto during the Bilateral Meeting on Science Technology & Innovation Cooperation held recently.
About the Initiative
During the meeting, they have discussed the exchange of scholars particularly at the graduate level.
They also discussed the public-private partnership arrangements, which will be pursued particularly in the translation of successful research & development (R&D) outputs in the form of products and technologies into business/ commercialisation.
Minister Takemoto and his entourage were given the opportunity to tour the Philippine Earth Data Resources & Observations (PEDRO) Center, located at the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute Office in Quezon City.
They also went to see the University Laboratory for Small Satellites and Space Engineering Systems (ULYS3ES) at the UP Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineering (IEEE) in UP Diliman.
OpenGov Asia earlier reported on ULYS3ES, which is a pioneering academic hub for research, development and instruction innovations in Philippine space technology.
The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA Philippines), will also fund the establishment of another PEDRO Center in Dumangas, Iloilo through a grant.
It will be the third PEDRO Center in the Philippines. The first two were funded by DOST.
The first one is the one they toured in DOST ASTI, which is for Luzon. The second one, meanwhile, is located in Davao City and is for Mindanao.
The third centre, which will be funded through Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), will be the one for the Visayas.
The Japanese Minister was very happy to learn that the faculty members and researchers manning the ULYS3ES Laboratory at the IEEE got their training and advanced degrees in Space Engineering in Japan.
Collaboration between countries is very helpful, particularly in finding technology solutions to address current needs.
Other collaborative initiatives
OpenGov Asia had reported on some of these initiatives.
A recent renewal of commitment was made between Singapore and China for collaborating on research efforts of both nations.
These include research work in the fields of sustainable urban development and healthy ageing.
Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (Most) signed an implementation agreement on cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
Under this agreement, there will be more emphasis on translating science and technology research and development via joint innovation and enterprise activities.
A stronger focus will be placed on science, technology and innovation cooperation in conjunction with bigger cooperation projects between both countries.
Meanwhile, Australia and the United Kingdom will improve access to services in the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific through radar satellite data.
Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), will work with the UK Space Agency as well as invite UK organisations and other international partners to work with them to scope projects designed to deliver sustainable benefits to Small Island Developing States in the Pacific.
The project ideas will use the data collected by satellites to improve decision-making for disaster risk reduction, ocean monitoring, mangrove mapping and maritime management.
The work will build on those systems already underway to help prevent and plan for disasters that are a consequence of rising sea levels and climate change.
