The role of a collaborative system in promoting entrepreneurship and R&D among filipino inventors and private firms

• Main Author: Feliciano, Joseph Dexter M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Entrepreneurship > Philippines; Research and development projects > Philippines; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/7128
• Institution: De La Salle University

Economists have traditionally apportioned economic resources in three basic categories: land, labor and capital. The fourth resource is entrepreneurship, which measured the impact of individuals’ creative activities in the economy. Without an entrepreneurial element, an economy would cease adapting to new circumstances and opportunities and soon disintegrate. Innovation and a culture of entrepreneurship play a significant part in improving a nation’s competitiveness and sustaining its long-term prosperity.1 The Philippines has been lagging globally in making an environment conducive for innovation. One major reason for this condition is the lack of major industries in business and effective government collaboration with relevant sectors in the society that can spur and maintain this culture. At present, inventions that can give rise to productive industry are seldom, or (even) never, exploited commercially. Domestic patent applications approved in recent years are almost nil and private firms never seem to engage and invest actively in research and development (R&D). This state of affairs is horrendously disappointing especially in a country which has a lot of potential in terms of manpower and resources. This thesis proposes a framework that can be adopted by the legislature or the proper government agency (i.e DOST) in pushing the country towards achieving a vibrant entrepreneurial culture and utilizing existing resources to achieve this goal. It introduces a new concept on how to establish and sustain innovation that will make the business environment dynamic and constantly improving. The framework has its basis on interviews from Filipino inventors, government officials and members of the private sector. Technology and entrepreneurship journals and other related literature, like business support systems of other countries, and surveys were also significantly utilized for the analysis and recommendation. The proposed structural framework advocates for efficient collaboration, not present in the current system, among government, private sector, academe and consumers. In order to make this collaboration successful, the internet is utilized as a channel for effective communication and cooperation. It aims to provide an active entrepreneurial structure that includes significant contribution from users of inventions and prospective customers of products and services resulting from R&D activities. It also pushes for a rethinking of the present government incentive system and suggests the adoption of the Taiwan Model of commercialization as opposed to traditional monetary support system that can breed financial dependence. The collaboration system is illustrated through an organizational chart of a Central Agency under the Department of Science and Technology responsible for coordinating relevant sectors. Activity is shared not only through firms and inventors but also to prospective users and beneficiaries of products and services resulting from R&D. Sustainability of the system does not rely on a single entity or sector. Though the government is central in the implementation, the private sector and users of innovations play a very significant role in maintaining an effective ecosystem in case the government fails to do its part. The private sector and individual inventors will mutually benefit through active collaboration of their efforts: Private firms can commercialize findings and innovations of scientists and inventors and, on the other hand, the latter can benefit from being able to commercialize and earn from their inventions.