MANILA, Dec. 3 (PNA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has initiated the construction of an Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC) which would allow companies or schools to develop, test and design software and hardware for their electronic products.
The center aims to develop locally-designed and prototype electronics end-products that meet the requirements of the international community. It seeks to lower the development cost of electronics end-products and shorten the time in developing a specific product that will address the demand of the consumers of the community.
“The EPDC is designed in such a way that it could adjust to the requirements of the electronics industry as it evolves towards greater advancements,” Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) Director Denis Villorente stated in his address during its groundbreaking ceremony held today at the Metal Industries Research and Development Center (MIRDC) compound in Bicutan, Taguig City.
Technical training to develop the manpower which would utilize and manage the whole facility will also be conducted, according to Villorente.
Once it is fully in place, local companies need not send their designs abroad for fabrication and compliance testing, which are more expensive and will have the advantage of shorter turn-around time especially for companies who cannot afford to put up their own product development facilities.
The P 255-million complex’s facilities include electromagnetic compatibility and safety testing which allows products to be locally tested for product integrity and compliance; a product prototyping laboratory that will assist companies for thorough verification of functional and environmental limits of their products and printed circuit board prototyping and fabrication facility that houses global industry standard computer aided design (CAD) tools and facilities for printed circuit board (PCB) design and prototyping.
Construction of the building is expected to commence this month or January next year and will be completed by July 2014.
Through this project, ASTI aims to “set up a strong foundation in the form of laboratories and testing facilities, a working environment that is locally conducive to technopreneurs, as well as support the growth of local hardware and software development and outsourcing services.”
ASTI Director Villorente lamented that the industry is currently focused on the assembly of electronic products. Thus, the EPDC supports the growth of the electronics industry through facilitating investments in higher value added services such as product design and development; prototyping and testing; marketing and support.
“As one and united government, we have to be the principal enabler of the country to manufacture its homegrown, low-cost yet high quality products such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, TVs, medical equipment, automotive computer boxes, test and measurement equipment, etc. On this ground, not only could we provide a wider range of services in two or three years’ time, we could also drive our local electronics industry towards global competitiveness,” he stressed. (PNA)