In a two-part zoom meeting on April 21 and April 28, UPERDFI Adviser Chato Calderon (from San Francisco USA) and ED Tito Aliga took part in discussions on how to commercialize VISSER, the Science Lab in a Box. This is the result of a UP-DOST project that started in 2012-13, headed by Dr. Giovanni Tapang, now dean of the UP Diliman College of Science. The meeting was organized by the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
Discussants included Ace Technology Corp. (Alexan) CEO Alex Sy and Operations Manager, Maribelle Uy; VISSER co-inventor Dr. Giovanni Tapang and Dwight Angelo Bruzon; UPD Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) leads Agnes Bantigue and Tina Mate, and DOST PCIEERD leads Russell Pili, Edward Apigo and Christian Zamora. Alexan had built over 150 demo units of VISSER starting in 2017 with the funding support of DOST. These have been deployed to schools all over the country. Discussions now focus on three options: Full Licensing, Partial Licensing, and a Spin-off. This is meant to enable mass production and commercial activities, with the basic A VISSER in Every School (VISSER@Lab); and a planned version A VISSER in Every Home(VISSER@Home). The latter is a potentially large market as online learning is necessary, inasmuch as students will not be able to use the VISSER@Lab anyway. The schematic below showing the format suggested by Dean Ganni Tapang of VISSER was discussed in detail. VISSER Company will be organized as a spin-off entity, with the surrounding functions to be licensed out. As a spin-off, VISSER is eligible for DOST funding through the FASTRAC Program. ACE Electronic Technology is headed by UPERDFI Chairman Alex Sy, who has offered to continue Alexan’s involvement, with updated terms and conditions.
BRINGING VISSER TO MARKET
