Stem cell technology in the Philippines : strategies for the future through scenario building / Robin Alpha F. Evora

Date : October 2012
Number of Pages : 36 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Glen Imbang

Executive Summary

Considered as a breakthrough in the field of medicine, Stem Cell Therapy has recently caught the public's interest in the past few months. Contrary to popular belief, stem cell therapy has been in place in the Philippines for many years. However, it was only in the last 5-6 years that this technology has slowly been made accessible to the public.

Clearly, the stem cell technology in the country calls for a strategic development planning for it to be fully developed, exploited and adopted by the market. As of date, there are mot much publications dedicated on the Philippine stem cell therapy. Through this study, the researcher was able to create prospects for the future of the technology in the country in the next five years through a technology foresight tool, the Scenario Building.

This study was able to achieve the following objectives :

- Identify key variables and critical uncertainties that would impact the future of the stem cell therapy industry in the Philippines

- Create and analyze plausible future scenarios of the industry for strategic planning purposes

- Recommend strategies for the development of the industry in the next five years (2013-2017)

Through Environment Analysis, the current political, economic, social and technological issues affecting the stem cell therapy in the Philippines were examined. Four plausible scenarios were created using the 10-stage approach to Scenario Building.

The study recommends a technology roadmap to strategically plan for the long-term future of stem cell therapy in the Philippines. The formulation of the technology roadmap should be actively participated by the medical and scientific communities, public and private hospitals, government, and the academe. The public should also be represented through various support groups of medical conditions such as cancer and other degenerative diseases. 

Beanstalk Company : business plan on urban farming using SNAP hydroponics technology / Francis Tolentino

Date : October 1, 2012
Number of Pages : 83 leaves
Adviser : Dr. Rolando P. Dayco

Abstract

The Beanstalk Company is an agri-business institution that will be engaged in urban farming. Managed by and registered under the Philippine law as a sole proprietor, Beanstalk Company will acquire and harness SNAP (Simple Nutrients Addition Program) hydroponics technology as its method of urban farming and as its core technology for developing and producing its crops. The company's main business is to distribute its crop produce directly to consumers and mainly to small and medium businesses within a 15 kilometer radius of its farm located in Cainta, Rizal. On its launch, the company will position itself as a product specialist supply chain with a flexible distribution structure which would mean it will focus producing lettuce and its common and marketable variety as the company's main product and produce.

Beanstalk Company will utilize SNAP hydroponics technology which poses to be the hydroponics technology system designed to meet the need for a low-cost urban farming on which most of the material used are low cost or recycled materials. This will enable the company to minimize and stabilize lettuce product cost and produce a stable supply of lettuces all year round even on various weather conditions. Large supplier and distributor of vegetable products in the Philippines mostly rely heavily on traditional farming method or farming on soil which have several disadvantages compared to hydroponics farming on which the Beanstalk Company will utilize to create as leverage in entering the market.

The demand for vegetable in the Philippines is growing and the trend of increasing consumption on healthy foods is arising. This development can be distinctly seen as the increase of salad varieties as lettuces can be found in many restaurant menus. Yet looking into these small and medium restaurants, hotels/motels and supermarkets there are limited or no lettuce suppliers that tends to them and serves them directly. The Beanstalk Company's business model will leverage on this opportunity. It will mainly directly distribute its products on wholesale with a stable long term price and supply of lettuce on business establishments as restaurants and hotels/motels and also brand it lettuce products on supermarkets within the 15 kilometer radius of its farm in Cainta, Rizal. A 15 Km radius of the farm would mean that the said business establishments of areas of Rizal, Antipolo City, Marikina City, Pasig City and Quezon City are the focus geographic areas of distribution of Beanstalk Company. Combined total targeted businesses of these areas will consist of 3563 businesses of which some 20% or 723 customers will be assumed as the market share that the company will capture on its first year of operations.

One of the key elements of Beanstalk Company's competitive strategy is to create a stable long term pricing that will be a standard pricing for all market distribution channels. The lettuce products will be strategically priced at 180 pesos per kilo across all channels which is relatively lesser than current competitor prices in the market.

Furthermore, in maintaining the company's position of stable long term price and all year long supply of lettuce products it will leverage its use of SNAP hydroponics technology to sustain its low cost method of producing the crop products even on unfavorable weather conditions for farming. With this, bringing the products and the farm closer to the market will minimize labor and delivery cost compared to traditional farms who are mostly located outside or at the outskirts of Metro Manila-an advantage seen by developing an urban farming method system. Developing a hydroponics technology based farm on the other hand also poses advantages over traditional farming such as eliminating soil based pest and controlled growth environment for the crops to name a few on which the company also considers as a competitive advantage.

The Beanstalk Company will be owned and operated by an experienced individual under the counsel and tutelage of the SNAP technology proprietors who are in themselves seasoned agricultural field experts. The company will operate on a minimal number of regularly reporting employees apart from the company owner who will act as the project manager that will oversee all aspects of operation and sales. He will be joined together by one Delivery Man (in charge of delivering orders) and one Farm Specialist (in charge of hands-on farm maintenance) in running the business.

Beanstalk Company will be financed fully by the company owner using ones savings and loan from relatives (without interest). With a start-up investment of 664,746 pesos, the company projects to have its return on investment after 2 years and 3 months of operation. The company will have a 2 month conception phase before the actual launch of the company and will follow a strict systematic schedule of growing the crops to maintain its supply upon its business launch date. It also estimates that 5% growth in sales and market share per year will be added to the company's market portfolio.

Future prospects of information security professionals in the Philippines through scenario building / BJ Edward M. Taduran

Date : December 18, 2017
Number of Pages : 80 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Glen A. Imbang

Abstract

The gap between the huge demand for information security (infosec) professionals around the world and its supply is widening every year. The Philippines is not exempted to this and is needing around 80,000 infosec professionals yearly.

The study determined in length the drivers and megatrends that make information security an in-demand career today. It was established why the demand cannot be supplied. Then the current state outside the country and inside the country of infosec were researched and one expectations on this field moving forward were deduced.

The study also showed some supporting information from experts in the field. The experts came from universities, the private sector, and the government.

Then, after all the information was gathered, the relationships of critical variables on the research that affect the supply and demand of information security professionals were determined.

Scenarios were then speculated so that some scenarios in the future were crafted to seek responses and strategies to the information security field today. Then from these scenarios, the most recommended strategy that could best handle all these possible future scenarios were suggested.

This study created a strategy on how the Philippines can later on fill in this very valuable and in-demand field. Foresight techniques was used to systematically determine the strategy. 

Analysis of the adaption of rapid microbiological method in San Miguel Corporation / Abigail E. Marcos

Date : October 2013
Number of Pages : 79 leaves

Marketing strategy for a late-follower in Mass Spectrometry Equipment / Julio Rodrigo J. Reyes

Date : October 10, 2013
Number of Pages : 68 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Edison D. Cruz

Abstract

Shimadzu Philippines Corporation (SPC) is a direct subsidiary of Shimadzu Corporation Japan tasked to handle the sales, marketing, and after-sales-support of the Shimadzu product in the Philippines.

Shimadzu Corporation developed a liquid chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS) to compete with market leaders such as Waters and AB Sciex. However, the late-follower strategy of the main company brings challenges to marketing subsidiaries to win against competition. Shimadzu Japan and Shimadzu Asia Pacific (SAP) conducts training and educates subsidiaries of the marketing strategy and the product's target market based on their existing market. These may not apply to the local setting due to the difference in laws, competitive environment and client demands. 

Majority of the marketing strategy proposed by the main company is applicable to the Philippines especially those that pertain to the product and price-leadership strategy. However, market segmentation based on the application of the LCMS/MS will not work since the market is very small. Thus, the market is segmented based on buying characteristics, source of funding, and ownership of the company. For the Philippines, it is best to segment the market as government and private companies. The presence of procurement laws in the government segment affects the company's strategy in marketing while private companies rely heavily on relationship marketing. Also the promotional mix is not dictated and left to the subsidiary to identify and implement.

SPC must take advantage of being a subsidiary against competitor going through distributors to deal their products. However, the lack of technical capabilities, synergy, and one direction of SPC must be addressed. The implementation of the CRM should be maximized to come up with valuable marketing information rather than just monitoring transactions. 

The proposed marketing strategy suggests that the product must always be offered as a total solution including complementary products ensuring a 100% working instrument. SPC should continue with the price leadership strategy inherited from the main company as an aggressive move against the competition. SPC must also classify its clients and target true friends and butterflies in the introduction of new technologies.

The action plan for SPC's marketing strategy is for the company to build its capabilities and match them with the demands of the customer and the market. Also, high-tech customers must be educated and the product benefits and applications communicated effectively through the utilization of appropriate advertising and promotional mix. 

Strategies to start up sustainable academe-industry collaboration in Metro-Clark / Edzel Gojo Cruz Galguerra

Date : March 2014
Number of Pages : 47 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Edison D. Cruz

Abstract

Clarkfield Freeport Zone is one of the emerging investment destinations in the country today. The promulgation of Clark in 2012 as center of excellence in Information and Communication Technology made inter-organizational collaboration, particularly between academe and industry, vitally important. The Metro-Clark ICT Council recognized the need and sought to develop an integrative environment where stakeholder organizations can communicate. While the incidences of cooperation and coordination are notable, an effective and sustainable collaboration has not been fostered and formalized. The main research problem hinges on what are the well-grounded strategies that can be employed to start up sustainable academe-industry collaboration in Metro-Clark. Collaboration, particularly between academe and industry, cannot be fully effective unless it is guided by strategy. The study used a descriptive research design with combined qualitative and quantitative approach through interviews and survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to address the research question. Analysis of the local situations (i.e. interest, attitude, network structure, domain, and barriers to collaboration) prior to formulation of the strategies was undertaken as part of the strategic management process. A framework to start up sustainable academe-industry collaboration in Metro-Clark is presented.

A technology foresight on electric motorcycle adoption in the Philippines through scenario building / Alvin C. Santos

Date : June 8, 2015
Number of Pages : 57 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Glen A. Imbang

Abstract

This study entitled "A Technology Foresight on Electric Motorcycle Adoption in the Philippines" aims to determine the plausible scenarios for adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly electric motorcycles, in the Philippines by 2020.

Scenario Building was used as technology foresight technique. Environmental analysis covering political, economic, sociological, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) aspects supplemented the discussion. PESTEL analysis was used as bases for identification of key predictable variables and critical uncertainties. In turn, both key predictable variables and critical uncertainties. In turn, both key predictable variables and critical uncertainties was clustered and ranked to establish the key driving forces that may affect the adoption of electric motorcycles in the Philippines. Scenario logic were drawn out from the key driving forces. Plausible scenarios were developed and assessed through SWOT analysis. Finally, the developed scenarios were assessed in terms of its implications to strategic planning for the EV industry stakeholders in the Philippines.

Scenario Building exercise, discussion, and analyses, led to the following conclusions :

1. The Philippines may potentially become the EV hub of Asia;

2. Achieving eVAP's target of a million EVs by 2020 would also translate to EVs successfully penetrating the "early majority" adopters; and

3. EVs will not completely replace traditional ICE-based motorcycles, but will become a viable alternative mode of transportation.

The following recommendations can also be drawn :

1. Alignment of Philippine EV industry targets with eVAP's one million EVs by 2020 in order for EVs to become a lucrative business venture;

2. Formation of a consortium for EV technology acquisition to achieve technology independence; and

3. Expand by exporting EVs to foreign markets.