MANILA, July 27 (PNA) –A state-of-the-art Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC) will soon be established in the country to power up the local electronics industry and propel it to global competitiveness.
This was revealed by Engr. Enrico Claro R. Delmoro, EPDC manager during the Scientific Forum on Emerging Technologies held last July 24 as part of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration now ongoing at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex.
A project of Department of Science and Technology through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), the EPDC aims to bridge the innovation gap between the conceptual stage and the actual commercial production phase.
What prevents a good concept or design from being actually commercialized is the failure to create a product prototype according to Engr. Delmoro. With the EPDC, local companies or schools can design, develop and test their hardware and software electronic products.
This project, along with the Advanced Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) also established by DOST, will enable local industries to move up the value chain and attain global competitiveness.
Value chain refers to how businesses receive their products’ raw materials as input, add value to these raw materials through various processes, and sell their finished products to customers.
Engr. Delmoro elaborated that in the current global value chain map, the Philippines is mostly limited to semiconductor manufacturing—which has the lowest value in the chain.
The EPDC aims to encourage local companies to do their own research and development and make their own designs for eventual commercialization. Thus, from being a mere assembler and manufacturer, the country can now delve into product design and position itself better in the global value chain.
The facility will house a PCB (printed circuit boards) Design and Prototyping Facility, Product Prototyping Laboratory, and Product EMC (electromagnetic compliance) and Safety Facility. EMC ensures that the devices created will cause no interference in other nearby devices.
The project is being implemented by the Advance Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) in cooperation with Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) and Electronic Industry Association of the Philippines. Both ASTI and MIRDC are agencies of DOST. The facility will rise in MIRDC Compound in Bicutan, Taguig City. (PNA)