Driven to fulfill its mandate of technology transfer within the metals and engineering industry of the country, the Metals Industry Research and Development Center under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-MIRDC), dedicated its technology called the Integrated Wrought Iron-Forming Equipment (iWIFE) to be part of the HIRANG Internship Program.
DOST-MIRDC selected iWIFE to be one of its two technologies for the technology transfer program initiated by DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), as it was already deemed set for commercialization. The MIRDC iWIFE project team completed research and development in 2012, and successfully filed for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in 2016 where the technology was granted a Utility Model certificate.
iWIFE is a portable iron-bar forming machine that can perform four basic shaping processes: twisting, bending, curling, and rolling. The technology can facilitate metal projects in the industries of furniture, metalcraft, and hardware. It is operated manually where the user can easily set up the tools and dies according to the metal form required. iWIFE is also installed with a compartment to store tools, making the device portable and effortless to manage.
As part of the internship process, DOST-MIRDC also deployed its staff, Mr. Mervin Gorospe and Ms. Zalda Gayahan to participate as trainees for the program. They were mentored by Atty. Celeste Jumadla who guided them on protecting intellectual property, dealing with potential licensees and other stakeholders, and preparing official documents including valuation reports.
The interns showed dedication in completing the activities geared to fulfill the HIRANG requirements and bring iWIFE to the market. Since the commencement of the program, they have accomplished to collect iWIFE documents, conduct interviews with the technology researchers, execute market segmentation, and submit valuation reports and proposed licensing agreements. As of now, the interns are still searching for a prospective licensee for iWIFE, while also recognizing other marketing strategies for the technology, including resource-based marketing and promotional activities such as webinars where iWIFE can be featured.
DOST-TAPI
MIKAELA KATE MAMAUAG