Sibul TBI: Shaping Innovations, Building Linkages, Uplifting Lives

“The PSAU Sibul TBI is dedicated to shaping innovations and building linkages, uplifting lives, and enhancing the socio-economic status of our stakeholders,” PSAU Intellectual Property and Technology Business Management Director Walter Pacunana said.

Sibul TBI tapped their advisers to help clients, called “incubatees”, in shaping their early-stage technologies and make their businesses market-ready and innovative.

Among the so-called incubatees is Annette Patdu, co-owner and manager of Diaspora Farm Resort in Bacolor, Pampanga. She currently practices natural and organic farming as she ventures in value-added agricultural products including the sweet tamarind juice of PSAU.

Patdu stated that given that the farm’s products are fruit-bearing trees, they can maximize their profit by coming up with different kinds of fruit products.

“I realized that you should not only be at the level of fresh production. You also must learn to process and add value to your products so that you will not only increase your profit but also lengthen their shelf life,” she said.

Aside from the transfer of technology, the TBI has connected the farm to networking opportunities. Patdu was once invited to pitch the tamarind juice technology in the ATBI 2nd National Conference and Incubatee Summit.

It has also provided business management services including the preparation of the product costs and drafting the business plan and business model canvas of the tamarind juice. 

The TBI also assisted the farm in the trademark application of its official logo. “I am happy with this development and opportunity, and I am very thankful with the capability training and other technologies given to me which I am sure I will learn a lot if I participate. I also hope to share my learnings to others who also want to go in this path,” Patdu added.

At present Diaspora Farm Resort, with the assistance of Sibul TBI, is in the process of securing the Fairness Opinion for a smooth technology transfer of the tamarind juice.

Enabling Sprouting Profits to Mills Enterprises

Another incubatee is Maria Concepcion Arcega, the sole proprietor of Mills Enterprise in Floridablanca, Pampanga.The enterprise is currently in the process of adopting the ready-to-fry mushroom crackers of PSAU.

Arcega ventures into mushroom production and vegetable root crops farming. She was able to process value-added agri-based commodities made from fresh vegetables such as taro chips, camote chips, cassava chips, and mushroom paste.

“I am grateful to PSAU for being with me along the way. I am one of the incubatees of Sibul TBI, and they helped me, and our farmers by providing us the technology that we need. They gave us training on mushroom production and mushroom food processing which we have adopted by now,” she shared.

The TBI also provided the enterprise with business management services such as drafting the business plan of the ready-to-fry mushroom crackers.

“Our products are being showcased in trade fairs. Sibul TBI also helps us in introducing our products to potential buyers, and they assisted us in applying for our trademark as Mills Enterprises, together with our official logo,” Arcega added.

Mills Enterprises, with the help of the TBI, is in the process of securing the Fairness Opinion for a smooth transfer of the ready-to-fry mushroom crackers.

The Sibul TBI was founded to support aspiring agri-aqua entrepreneurs in commercializing their innovations and coming up with technologically competent and sustainable businesses.

It caters to qualifying technological companies and innovations of faculty members, researchers, students, and micro-enterprises as incubatees.

The program offers a variety of services to incubatees such as institutional support or the use of in-campus facilities, access to laboratory and processing facilities, shared office space, training and conference area, and clerical and technical assistance.

It may also provide technical support and assistance such as intellectual property registration and protection, product creation and/or development, food processing and development, technical workshops, and commercialization or technical transfer.

Incubatees may likewise tap the TBI for business management services which involves business plan preparation, business model, management consultancy, marketing operations, financial and human resources management, and training.

It may assist in networking opportunities including pitching, business meetings with industry partners, registration to local industry groups, business matching and investment.

The TBI also provides legal matters advice and management, business registration, and accounting and auditing.

Pacunana emphasized that the assistance of the Sibul TBI is given for free. It can also accommodate an unlimited number of incubatees.

“If an incubatee is interested in a technology or service that is not available in our office, we can refer them to other TBI offices that can cater to their specific needs or interests,” he further added.

Those who are interested to become an industry partner, business mentor, or incubatee may send their letter of intent, pre-incubation application form, project idea brief or research paper, and curriculum vitae to sibul@psau.edu.ph.

Farmers Cooperatives and Associations must include their Cooperative Development Authority Registration and Board Resolution. 

MSMEs must send their Department of Trade and Industry Business Registration, Business Permit, and Board Resolution. (CLJD/JLDC-PIA 3)