ILIGANiCE. A microchip developed at the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, under the “μC-Integrated Circuit (IC)” program, is supported by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development. The power-saving microchip is currently undergoing pre-commercialization and negotiation before it will be available for industrial markets. (MSU-IIT Microelectronics Lab)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The power-saving microchip developed by researchers at the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) is poised to be commercially available after it meets patent requirements.
Dr. Reynaldo M. Vequizo, director of MSU-IIT's Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office (KTTO), said Friday the microchip underwent intellectual property or IP-related research and patent searches, along with its IP-related analysis for patentability, and novelty searches, landscapes, licensing, and infringement, among others.
"Pre-commercialization and negotiation initiatives on 'μC-Integrated Circuit (IC)' with industry for commercialization are ongoing. This negotiation is dependent now on the degree of patent protection," he said in an interview.
The microchip is a 3.5-year funded project with a PHP34 million budget from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) under the IC program.
The project aimed to fully capacitate MSU-IIT's Microelectronics Laboratory in Digital Integrated Circuit Design, produce the final research on a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) Microcontroller with Energy Harvesting and Power Management Unit, and applied the designed chip to the developed working IoT Device prototype.
Introduction to 'ILIGANiCE'
Once the patent process is complete, Vequizo said the power-saving microchip would be presented to the newly launched Innovation through Leveraging, Industry, Government, Academe Networks and inclusive Community Engagements (ILIGANiCE), a collaborative program that aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of local enterprises through the adoption of scientifically developed technologies.
"KTTO is one of three clusters in the implementation of ILIGANiCE. Once this technology is commercialized, this will be presented by ILIGANiCE," he said.
The launch of ILIGANiCE was held online on June 30 through the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the DOST 10 (Northern Mindanao), Department of Trade and Industry 10, and MSU-IIT; together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation of Iligan, Inc., and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (Stride) program.
Dr. Jinky Bornales, MSU-IIT's Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension and ILIGANiCE project leader, said the program would serve as a channel for micro, small, and medium enterprises to improve and enhance their goods or services, particularly in the areas of research and development, technology upgrading, and other innovation-related needs.
She added that the program aims to assist startups and aspiring entrepreneurs by developing innovation policies that would facilitate more dynamic economic activity, and by promoting a sustainable innovation system through community engagements and partnerships.
“It’s a program that is based on the principle of collaboration between the academe and the community because we believe that the greater the scope of collaboration, the bigger the impact it will have to the entire community. Through ILIGANiCE, we will strategically connect and engage the academe and the community through our various activities,” Bornales said.
DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña commended MSU-IIT and its partners from the government and private sector for setting up ILIGANiCE, saying the program is timely, necessary, and would benefit not just Iligan City but also Northern Mindanao and the whole country.
“There are now two innovation hubs in Northern Mindanao, the OroBest in Cagayan de Oro, and we have now ILIGANiCE that is trying to create an ecosystem that will generate the innovations for economic and social benefits not only for the people in this region but for the whole country,” he said. (PNA)
