THE country needs to continue pursuing the development of higher-valued products from the manufacturing and agribusiness sectors with the use of science, technology and innovation (STI).
Pagtanaw 2050, a Department of Science and Technology-funded interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary project, said the level of innovation in agriculture was measly 0.8 percent in 2018, which “should be a wake-up call to devote more attention” to the sector.
The services sector accounted for the highest value-added at 62.7 percent, while industry accounted for 36.5 percent.
“The use of STI is evident in the specific activities of all three sectors, and the need for innovation to produce next-generation products is a big challenge to their competitiveness,” it said.
Citing an earlier study, the project said an example of the many opportunities for creating high-value products from agriculture is the use of biocellulose, known as nata de coco, for the vibrating membrane in high-end earphones.
“A biocellulose product from nata de coco might be worth pursuing,” it said.
The project said it might also be worth the country’s effort to establish its niche in bioindustries using materials that we can derive from the farm, the forest and the marine environment.
It said niches must be developed for Philippine products to thrive in an intensely aggressive market.
“However, productivity must be balanced by both economic and environmental sustainability. Even at the earliest stages of product development, the environmentally-sound recycling of by-products, waste materials and obsolete products must already be designed into the manufacturing process and product lifecycle,” it added.
Meanwhile, Pagtanaw 2050 is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary project on Philippine-focused STI Foresight and Strategic Plan that will impact on the aspirations of the Filipino people by 2050.
It includes a compendium of STI megatrends, global and national societal goals, transdisciplinary, and interdisciplinary operational areas, and current and emerging technologies relevant to the nation’s development.
