Researchers in the Philippines can now program their research activities in emerging science with the setting up of the sector’s research and development roadmaps.

Led by the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) in workshops held last October, the crafting of the R&D roadmaps involved stakeholders in the fields of genomics and nanotechnology.

“One important thing that you should consider in crafting the roadmaps is the final outcome of the research activity,” Sec. Mario Montejo advised the stakeholders. “In the end, the final product that comes from research should uplift the lives of the Filipino people.”

In nanotechnology, research activities will center on addressing the top 10 problems of the world in the next 50 years, including energy, water, food, environment, and poverty, among others. In the field of information communications and technology and semiconductors, nanotechnology research will be geared toward building core facilities for nanometrology, solar-cell testing, and failure analysis. Also set in the pipeline are nanomaterials sample preparation, chemical analysis and imaging, advanced materials, and high-resolution characterization.

Nanotechnology studies with energy applications will focus on device structures, bulk heterojunction-type solar cells, water-splitting photovoltaic system, and hydrogen fuel cells.

The stakeholders in this field also laid out plans to develop human resources, linkages, and marketing schemes of potential technologies to the industry.

In the field of health genomics, R&D will focus more on the development of diagnostic kits for commonly encountered diseases. Also set in the pipeline are molecular marker studiers, DNA fingerprinting, sustainable drug discovery, and bioenergy production.