The importance of digital has never been greater than it is now. With the pandemic crisis still raging in the country, most businesses are being forced to transform their operations and even business models in order to be pandemic-proof. This involves organisations innovating how they create, deliver, and capture value to and from their customers. More significantly, understanding the various customer personas that your product or service caters to will aid in the planning of various customer activities that will ensure the best customer experience.
Digitalisation and the smart use of information and communication technologies (ICT) are critical determinants of successful innovation, competitiveness, and growth, and they provide numerous opportunities for MSMEs to strengthen their market position and resilience to demand and supply shocks. With this, the Philippine government had emphasised the importance of improving packaging technology with better equipment and facilities, which would eventually support various industry sectors, particularly MSMEs.
As per the science chief, the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) has made significant advances in the packaging industry through its own packaging research, development, and testing laboratory. However, a statement, stated that there is still a need to step up to global industry leaders, which is one of the reasons for the modern Simulation Packaging Testing Laboratory (SPTL).
The SPTL will be useful to different industry sectors that produce agricultural products, food, beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, personal care, furniture and handicraft, delivery service, etc. from micro to multi-nationals.
– Chief of the DOST’s Packaging Technology Division
The government is currently establishing the country’s first Simulation Packaging Testing Laboratory, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (SPTL). The SPTL will be the Philippines’ first performance testing lab for transport packaging, with the goal of assisting various Philippine industry sectors in the areas of packaging design and engineering, performance testing, and the advancement of transport packaging standards. “The SPTL being established will be at par with other countries,” said the chief of the DOST’s Packaging Technology Division.
The SPTL is said to help prevent or minimise product damage while in transit, to reduce packaging costs by optimising the design, and comply with regulations in both the domestic and international markets. In addition to the SPTL, a green packaging laboratory (GPL) is being established to serve as a venue for R&D and technological innovations in alternative packaging. The GPL will create materials from indigenous and renewable resources, as well as agricultural waste.
The two laboratories will be used for collaboration and collaboration with various industry sectors, private companies, and academic institutions. While the laboratories are being built, the Packaging Technology Division (PTD) of DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) will conduct box performance testing using International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) testing protocols.
Speaking of the Philippines’ digital transformation, the country’s use of digital technologies is still below its potential, with the country’s digital adoption generally trailing many regional neighbours. The “digital divide” between those who have and do not have access to the internet results in unequal access to social services and life-changing economic opportunities.
To collaborate, in a report, OpenGov Asia stated that The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has stressed the importance of data science, analytics, and digital transformation that would help make better policies and deliver better services in government.
He acknowledged to the participants at the 2021 Analytics Summit PH the importance of digitalisation during the pandemic when social protection programmes must be delivered efficiently using information and communications technology (ICT). “I have always believed and advocated for digital transformation within the government to strengthen policy-making and service delivery. The government and businesses alike need to use data science to make better policies. This has become even more urgent in the new normal,” the NEDA director-general said.
