IPOPHL 2022 ITSO filings at record high signal rebound

Members of the Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) 2.0 Program booked a new all-time record in intellectual property (IP) applications, indicating their increased innovative and creative outputs and their remarkable rebound from the pandemic.

The 77 members of the ITSO network — consisting of universities, colleges and research institutions — together filed protection for 241 patents (+8.1% YOY); 574 utility models (UM) (+1.6%); 127 industrial designs (ID) (+89.6%); 98 trademarks (+29.0) and 814 copyright registrations (181.7%). These applications total to 1,854, 53.5% up from 2021 filings and 14.2% higher than the previous record-high in 2016.

“Since 2014, the IP filing performance by the ITSOs registered a consistent increase year-on-year—save for year 2020 which saw a dramatic slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that the ITSOs had rebounded remarkably post-pandemic,” read the annual ITSO report submitted to the World IP Organization (WIPO).

“Based on 2022 data, it could be said that the ITSOs now tend to be filing more invention patents. This outcome attests to their improved capability to perform quality prior art and patent information searches, as well as draft the specifications of the patent,” the report added.

The top filers were awarded at the 2023 ITSO Presidents’ Summit held on 28 March 2023.

Northern Iloilo State University received the award for the most count of patent applications (19); Cebu Technological University for 219 UMs (219); Design Center of the Philippines for 46 IDs; the University of San Agustin for 10 trademarks; and the Isabela State University for 247 copyright registrations.

Moreover, the ITSO network hiked commercialization endeavors with 26 members reporting success in bringing their IP to markets mainly through licensing. This compares with the 10 ITSOs in 2021.

In commercializing technologies globally, ITSOs have filed 48 applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty — international route for patent applications — to date.

Director General Rowel S. Barba encouraged ITSOs to sustain their momentum and continue cultivating a culture for IP research, protection and commercialization.

“With an uncertain future, we need to ensure we have the proper tools to enable our people to continue to innovate and create in this bold new world. IP can help generate innovations that can prepare our nation to face the man-made disruptions and natural disasters tomorrow will bring. We look to the ITSO 2.0 network as an effective and dependable source of these much-needed innovations,” Barba said.

To celebrate the 2022 achievements of the ITSO 2.0 Program,  the IP Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), through its Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB), recently held the ITSO President’s Summit with the theme “ITSO: Hub and Generator of Future-Ready Innovations.”

Nearly 200 heads and representatives of the ITSO institutions took part in the occasion and were recognized for fulfilling the ITSO 2.0 clustering deliverables for 2022.

Aside from the Top Filers Special Awards, IPOPHL also recognized the following  ITSOs based on the clusters under which they fall:

Bronze (ITSO with three-unit IP subject in their curriculum):

Guimaras State University

De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde

Bronze – conducted at least 12 IP Awareness, 2 Patent Search Training, 1 Patent Drafting

Bulacan State University

University of Antique

Mindanao State University – Marawi

Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization

North Eastern Mindanao State University

Holy Angel University

Tarlac State University

University of Eastern Philippines

Visayas State University

Silver – ITSO that succeeded to conduct at least 24 patent search services:

Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology

Technological Institute of the Philippines

Capiz State University

Aklan State University

University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

Our Lady of Fatima University

Technological University of the Philippines Visayas

Gold – filed at least six patents or inventions in 2022:

Philippine Rice Research Institute

Bohol Island State University

Carlos Hilado Memorial State University

Negros Oriental State University

West Visayas State University

Bataan Peninsula State University

University of Mindanao

University of Southeastern Philippines

Platinum – filed at least seven invention patents, and have successfully commercialized one of their IPs:

Cavite State University

Batangas State University

Laguna State Polytechnic University

Northern Iloilo State University

Central Mindanao University

Southern Leyte State University

Eastern Visayas State University

Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology

Caraga State University

Samar State University

Iloilo Science and Technology University

Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Adamson University

University of the Philippines Manila

Ateneo De Manila University

Mariano Marcos State University

Bicol University

Four higher educational institutions, namely the Davao Oriental State University, Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc., Northwest Samar State University and the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology then signed up to be part of the ITSO, committing to deliver on IP outputs and activities.

The event also highlighted new opportunities for ITSOs to deliver good harvests from their sustained research and commercialization efforts.

In his message as delivered by Barba at the Summit, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. urged local innovators to ride the wave of the fourth industrial revolution and help change society for the better.

“I’m calling on our academic and research institutions to double our efforts in pursuing innovation. We need more scientists, engineers, and innovators who are dedicated to finding new solutions to our most pressing challenges,” Marcos said, assuring that as chair of the National Innovation Council, there will be funding for socially relevant technologies.

Marcos also emphasized the importance of the ITSO 2.0 Program and IPOPHL in the goal to speed up the wheels of domestic innovation.

“Educational and research institutions are the main technology generators of our nation. The ITSO 2.0 Program paved the way for different SUCs, HEIs, and RDIs to protect and commercialize their intellectual properties. The ITSO 2.0 Program links the gaps between academe and industry, providing an avenue for both parties to collaborate in providing better solutions or innovations for the betterment of the Filipino people. IPOPHL as the primary agency on IP and innovation, and the ITSOs continue to advance the path of achieving a more creative and innovative Philippines,” the executive chief added.

The ITSO is IPOPHL’s flagship program to capacitate members to conduct patent information search, patent drafting, IP application, IP commercialization and IP awareness activities. The program has been redesigned creating the ITSO 2.0, which sets varying cluster deliverables to better recognize and support members based on their levels of innovation efforts and IP capacities. (Janina Lim/IPOPHL)