Program 5: Ex-ante Assessment of Offshore Mining Call Rationale
J. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR Call Rationale
Information and communication technologies (ICT) are key enablers of innovation and encompass a broader array of activities. The overall strategies outlined in this roadmap are fundamentals in attaining the Networked Society. The key technology trends or R&D solutions that will stimulate innovations within the ICT industry in the coming years will create new value streams for consumers, government, industry and society. A technology-enabled ecosystem is made possible through a universal, horizontal and multipurpose communications platform. The R&D technologies in ICT Innovations is combined with the next generation of networks such as 5G provide support to IoT, creation of cyber driver dynamic content, retrieval and analysis, among other applications.
The priority topics identified were based on the following stakeholders’ consultations and references:
- ASEAN Innovation Business Platform Conference and Exhibition Driving Digitalization Ecosystems in ASEAN, November 15-16, 2022.
- Griffin, M. April 2020. Exponential Technology Codex 2020 to 2070. Codex of the Future Series. 311 Institute.
- Harmonization of DOST-PCIEERD and DOST-ASTI Roadmaps on Electronics, ICT, and Quantum Technology, December 15, 2022.
Call Objective
The main objective of this call is to support research and development projects for ICT innovations particularly in the field of (1) data science, (2) computing, (3) connectivity, and (4) security. Proposals shall address the needs and strengthen the capabilities of the local industry in terms of facilities and services, human resources, R&D technologies, and/or S&T policies.
Call Scope
This call targets to support applied research projects on the following topics:
1. Data Science
▪ Development of Smart Data Capture Software Maximum Budget Allocation: Php 10M per proposal
Target Number of Project/s to be Funded: 1 (PCIEERD-GIA)
Smart data capture enables real-time decision making and workflow automation by capturing data from barcodes, text, IDs, and objects. It is a flexible, future-proof technology that connects retailers, frontline workers, and customers with real-time information to provide actionable insights, automate processes end-to-end, and deliver digitally-enriched experiences. It can be integrated into any application or ecosystem powering operational and customer-facing processes for store associates and shopping experiences for consumers. The technology enables retailers to transform any device with a camera into a high performance data capture and
visualization tool including smartphones, tablets, robots, drones, and wearables.
Proposals shall include letter of collaboration and certificate of technology adoption with an industry partner.
▪ Application of Data Ontology and Data Archiving for DOST Public Services Maximum Budget Allocation: Php 10M per proposal
Target Number of Project/s to be Funded: 2 (PCIEERD-GIA)
E-government services have now been developed to cover the basic services that should be delivered to citizens and enterprises. However, a number of issues regarding e-services has to be addressed including e-service composition, e-service cataloguing, change management, and administrative responsibility. This reveals the need for semantically rich means for representing the various aspects of e-services which can be addressed through data ontology. Hence, proposals shall focus on practical use cases of data ontology for e-government public services particularly intended for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) R&D outputs.
2. Computing
▪ Advancement in Distributed Computing
Maximum Budget Allocation: Php 20M per proposal Target Number of Project/s to be Funded: 1 (DOST-GIA)
Distributed Computing, which also encapsulates Edge and Fog Computing, is where data is ingested, processed, stored, and transmitted from a wide variety of devices and locations. As computing platforms continue to shrink in size, while at the same time increasing in power, computing capabilities can now be embedded, directed, and managed by Blockchain networks into devices of all shapes and sizes from gadgets, materials, and sensors, among others. Proposals shall include practical application of the distributed model in collaboration with an industry partner as end-user.
3. Connectivity
▪ R&D Addressing Wave Spectrum Challenges with 5G Technology Maximum Budget Allocation: Php 20M per proposal
Target Number of Project/s to be Funded: 1 (DOST-GIA)
5G, the successor to 4G, is a low latency, hyper connected multi Gigabit mobile wireless communications standard. While researchers see great potential with a high- frequency version of 5G, it comes with a key challenge as it is very short range.
Objects such as trees and buildings cause significant signal obstruction, necessitating numerous cell towers to avoid signal path loss. Currently, multiple-input, multiple- output (MIMO) technology is proving to be an effective technique to address this issue.
However, even with MIMO technology, line of sight will still be important for high- frequency 5G and massive base stations remain to be a necessity. Hence, proposals shall focus on addressing signal path challenges to expand the capacity of 5G connectivity.
4. Security
▪ Application of Homomorphic Encryption
Maximum Budget Allocation: Php 20M per proposal
Target Number of Project/s to be Funded: 1 (PCIEERD-GIA)
Homomorphic encryption is a method of performing calculation and analysis on encrypted information without decrypting it first. It is the field of research concerned with developing ways to securely encrypt information in a way that still allows third parties to analyze it without having to give the encryption keys. Today, homomorphic encryption is being used to give crowdsourced data scientists access to confidential data to mine for patterns and identify investment opportunities and trends in a way that would not have been possible using the traditional encryption technologies.
K. ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SECTOR