By Lyn Resurreccion / Senior Editor
THE Philippines called on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) to seek ways to “further nurture and support MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] and technopreneurs—to enhance their role as major contributors to development and inclusive growth.”
Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo made the call during the opening on Monday of the sixth meeting of the Apec Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI-6), with the theme “Science, Technology and Innovation for Inclusive Growth.” It aims to highlight the importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) as an “engine of economic growth and social progress.”
At the same time, PPSTI-6 Chairman Chen Linhao said that in Apec’s meetings since 2010, STI have become an increasingly important driving force for economic socio-development, and quality and efficient growth.
“Innovation has been included as an important topic in several Apec leaders’ declarations,” Linhao said in his opening remarks on Monday for the three-day PPSTI-6 meeting.
He said that in 2015, PPSTI has submitted a total of 24 project proposals, while 20 PPSTI projects and activities have already been confirmed for the 2015 and 2016 periods. No details about the projects were given.
“These projects are translating policies set by Apec leaders and ministers into concrete actions,” he noted.
“On the whole, PPSTI has come a long way in enhancing science capacity building; improve innovation in neighboring environment; and bolstering regional connectivity in science and technology [S&T],” Linhao said. Montejo said in his welcome message that the focus of the meeting is on MSMEs, “and how Apec mechanisms, through PPSTI, could encourage them to become more active players of our innovation ecosystem and contribute more in our development efforts.”
Like most Apec economies, he said the Philippines recognizes this “very important role of MSMEs to national development.”
“As the backbone of the economy or the linchpin of economic development, this sector is critical for investment and economic growth and job creation,” he said.
MSMEs in the Philippines, Montejo said, account for 99.6 percent of total establishments in the country. They contribute 61.2 percent of the country’s total employment and 35.7 percent of total value added.
“More important, most of our MSMEs are located in the countryside, and they create value from our agricultural and other natural resources,” he said.
However, Montejo said, a key concern for MSMEs are their “low productivity due to lack of access to technologies, weak technological capabilities, and failure to engage in innovation and research and development activities.”
To address this concern, he said, the Department of Science and Technology has been strengthening and enhancing the country’s S&T-based innovation ecosystem “to be able to empower the MSMEs to come up with innovative ideas to improve productivity, create new products, and move up the value-chain.”
“We have been continuously developing the required human resource pool in priority science and technology fields; establishing state-of-the-art laboratories, testing facilities, and innovation hubs; providing support for research and development; and create policies in intellectual property management, technology transfer, data and know-how sharing, that promote and encourage innovation,” he said.
Montejo cited also that the Philippines pushed during the past PPSTI-5 a recommendation to translate STI into policy statement, since this is consistent with the Apec agenda and among the priority task of PPSTI in the coming years.
“We hope that the recommendation will see its fruition with the formulation and implementation of an action plan,” he said.
It should be noted that PPSTI provides a platform to foster collaboration and synergy among Apec member-economies. It serves as a venue for formulating S&T-based policy recommendations and concrete actions to enhance the capacity for and promote an environment conducive to innovation, Montejo said. “There is pressure for PPSTI to step up its programs and level of cooperation now that Apec recognizes and acknowledges the importance of STI,” he added.
The PPSTI delegates will visit some outputs of university-based research institutions that address problems in agriculture, industry, environment and climate change, including the R&D and innovations of the International Rice Research Institute that provide sustainable solutions to issues on food security.
Image credits: RTVM