The Philippine delegation of research and technology managers with FFTC Dir. Sing-Hwa Hu and staff.

TAIWAN - Envisioned to gain lessons and experiences to boost the Philippines’ research and technology management (RTM) system and operations, a delegation of ten research and development managers from all over the country visited Taiwan on June 10-15, 2007. Dubbed as a Continuing Education Program on Research and Technology Management, the activity aimed to expose the Philippine participants to Taiwan’s innovative strategies in RTM in agriculture which have significantly contributed to the latter’s unprecedented economic growth in recent decades.

During its week-long observation and exploratory tour, the Philippine delegation visited national research and development institutes, as well as Taiwan-based international agricultural organizations cutting across the north to the south of the island. In particular, the group visited Taiwan’s National Science Council (NSC), Council of Agriculture (COA), Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Science Park, Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), National Chung Hsing University (NCHU)-College of Agriculture, Livestock Research Institute (LRI), and Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (DARES); and two international organizations, the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC) based in Taipei, and The World Vegetable Center-Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) based in Tainan.

Research managers from the Philippines discuss possible future collaboration with FFTC Director Sing-Hwa Hu and staff.

The overall deliberation during the visits to these institutes/organizations revolved on Taiwan’s policy environment relative to research and technology management, the organization and structure of the national RTM system and its resources, research and development program management, and research directions and achievements in terms of technology promotion and commercialization, particularly how to inject business sense into technology management, and its contribution to the economic growth of Taiwan.

During the Philippine delegation’s visit to FFTC, Director Sing-Hwa Hu discussed the Center’s mission and commitment to respond to the technological needs of small-scale farmers in the Asian and Pacific (ASPAC) region amid the changing global environment. Strategies to strengthen future collaborative undertakings between FFTC and the Philippines’ national research and development system were also explored toward contributing to the improvement of rural farming communities and the attainment of sustainable agriculture in the ASPAC region.