Republic of the Philippines (3 Pp DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ae Office of the Undersecretary for Regional Operations pesariness FOR : All Regional Directors Hote | FROM : The Undersecretary fopMegional Operations i SUBJECT : CRADLE Challenge 2020 DATE : 18 May 2020 Enclosed is the copy of the brief / call for proposal for the CRADLE Challenge 2020: Equipping Industries for the New Normal, for your information and dissemination to all our S&T stakeholders in the region. You may also share this, call to various industry associations and local business chambers in your respective regions. The challenge is open for the four (4) thematic areas as listed below: © Sustainable Supply and Logistics (Supply Focus); © Products for the New Normal (Product Focus); o. Reinventing the Workplace (Process Focus); and, © Services that Transcends Boundaries (Service Focus). Please note that proposal requirements and eligibilties of proponents are similar to the usual call for CRADLE projects, except that project proposals within the above listed thematic tracks and specified priority areas with at most one (1) year duration will be prioritized during this call. Proposals with complete documentary requirements should be submitted online through the DOST Project Management Information System (https://dpmis.dost.aov.ph) within the month of June 2020. Information material about the Challenge is herewith attached, for your ready reference. For more details or clarifications, interested proponents may send their inquiries to s4c.ousecrd@dost.gov.ph. Thank you. cc: USec. Rowena Cristina. Guevara PostalAddress: | 1/F ADMATEL Blig., DOST Compound, Trunkiine: (632) 837-207 110 82 bocal 2025 Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City 1631 Telefax No.: (632) 837-2941 www. dost ustS Ae CRADLE Challenge 2021 Cc Ps Equipping Industries for the New Normal _£#) #Collaborations to combat COVID-19 The DOST through the Science for Change Program's Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) component are inviting Higher Educational Institutions (HEI Research and Development Institutions(RD!) to partner with Filipino private companies to formulate solutions that can aid our industries in overcoming the challenge of the new normal. With various efforts in addressing the current COVID-19 crisis, the CRADLE Challenge will focus on how to equip our local companies with capabilities to become competitive during and after the crisis. The objective of the CRADLE Challenge 2020 is to identify technologies and innovative solutions that can define the new normal for business processes taking into account potential long-term behavioral changes in the market as well as shifts and restrictions in value chain and logistics. The developed research outputs are aimed to advance the innovativeness and competitiveness of local Filipino companies, and ultimately help jumpstart the Philippine economy. The Challenge has 4 thematic areas: 1. Sustainable Supply and Logistics (Supply focus) 2. Products for the New Normal (Product focus) 3. Reinventing the Workplace (Process focus) 4. Services that transcends boundaries (Service focus) 1. Sustainable Supply and Logistics COVID-19 has forced territories to set-up borders and restrict movement. With companies relying on a global or national-scale value network, impeding movement of raw materials and goods are equivalent to losses. Micro, small, and medium enterprises are hit with the rising costs of materials and uncertainty in supply. Producers and sources of raw materials are devastated with decreasing sales due limitations in transportation channels and ultimately, suffer great losses for perishable and semi-perishable items. In this view, the focus of this theme is to develop new technologies and solutions that can redesign the movement of supply and create a resilient value chain and logistics network even in times of crisis. An emphasis on localizing the source of raw materials and decreasing demand for importation is placed on this challenge. Project ideation can start from the following questions: How might we be able to localize sources and promote a circular economy within a region? ‘* How can you make raw materials to be more resilient or prevent their loss of value? ¢ How might we redesign logistic channels to become smarter and responsive to consumer's demand? How can you redefine your delivery channels to maximize your reach in spite of physical restrictions?‘Thematic Tracks: - Sustainable Consumption and Production Creating export substitution technologies, localizing raw material sources, Processing raw materials to extend saleable life, creating a circular economy within a locality/region - Enabling Movement to meet Demand Innovations on raw materials and product delivery, blockchain supply and demand data, efficient transport channels - Digital and Smart Channels Development of smart digital platforms for delivering products and goods, intelligent supply and demand systems 2. Products for the New Normal With the general population placed in months-long isolation, projected behavioral changes in ‘consumer spending and prioritization is expected to affect the market. The growing consciousness on health and the risk of contracting the virus through consumer-product interactions stimulates the urge to develop new products that can mitigate the spread of diseases. Coupled with the difficulty in the supply of raw materials and restrictions in the value chain, the manufacture of the usual products proved to be vulnerable. The reevaluation of wants and needs, changes in consumer-product interaction, and reformulation and development of more resilient products are areas to consider in shaping post-COVID norms. Project ideation can start from the following questions: How can you reformulate products so that it can be sustained with our local supply? ¢ How might you be able to redesign public spaces and fixtures to become universal and mitigate health risks? ¢ How can you transform your products to suit the new normal? ‘Thematic Track: - Product Reinvention Development and reformulation of existing products, creation of new product- lines to promote food security such as plant-based meat substitutes, - Products that Minimize Health-risk and Exposure Redesigning existing products to minimize contact and promote healthier interactions - Products Beyond Borders Recreating products to remotely provide them to customers, Digitizing products 3. Reinventing the WorkplaceGiven the increased health risk present in the workplace, firms are forced to change the way they conduct operations. The normal work scheme is slowly being overwritten by virtual workspaces, automated machineries and chatbots. However, many Filipino companies are stil lagging in digitization and automation. The COVID-19 crisis poses an opportunity for these companies to reinvent their workplace. Formulation of alternative work arrangements, limitation of contact between personnel, development of engineering solutions to mitigate the risk of exposure, digitization and automation — these are some of the solutions that will redefine the new normal workplace. The focus of this theme is on developing solutions, practices and tools that will aid companies cope with the needed changes in the Workplace. This Project ideation can start from the following questions: * How can you make the workplace safer for employees, customers and other stakeholders? *¢ How might you be able improve altemative work arrangements, for example, in improving personnel efficiency, privacy and security, etc.? ‘* How can you maintain optimum operation in times of crisis? ¢ How might you be able to minimize health risks without disrupting the accustomed workplace and dynamics? ‘Thematic Tracks: - Safer Workspace Adaptable engineering controls, research-based procedures and protocols that mitigate health risks, innovations that minimize health hazards while minimally disrupting the work behavior - Smart Tools for Remote Work Tools designed to maximize workforce efficiency, programs that make it Possible to conduct normal operations remotely, innovative solutions that can Potentially reduce the real-estate footprint of businesses - Automation and Digital Integration Digital transformation, automation, use of sensors, drones, smart machines and other technologies for operation, Al and machine learning 4. Services Transcending Boundaries Compulsory closures and restrictions on person-to-person interactions have severely hit the service industry. With the large number of the population engaged in service-related positions, disruptions like this result in decrease in their income and generally result in weakening economic activities. Also, engagement of service workers during the health crisis exposes them to a high risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. However, we must acknowledge the fact that the work done by this sector is the most difficult to automate, if not impossible, as their work is derived from tacit knowledge, skills and experiences.To this view, this theme focuses on providing service-oriented functions a means of performing work through engineering tools and innovative solutions that can protect them and their client from health hazards and enable the effective delivery of their services. Project ideation can start from the following questions: ‘* How can you minimize the exposure of service workers and their clients to health hazards? * How might you enable service functions to be performed remotely? * How can you help normalize and strengthen the gig economy"? ‘* How might you be able to transform services into saleable products? ‘Thematic Tracks: = Health Solutions for Service workers Tools and solutions to enable service delivery with minimized health hazards + Services through Remote Platform Programs, applications, and other solutions that can enable the provision of service remotely, use of integrated Al and machine leaming software, Augmented reality platforms: - Productizing Services Transformation of services into products through modules, kits, and other media Funding Opportunit This challenge will provide a maximum grant of Php 5,000,000.00 to successful project proposals. Proposals submitted in the different thematic areas will be evaluated based on technical merit, innovativeness and potential for adoption. After careful evaluation, 2-3 projects under each priority area will be awarded. Priority Areas: This challenge places emphasis in supporting the growth and technological readiness for the new normal of the following sectors. 1. Pharmaceuticals and Drug Development 2. Natural Products 3. Medical Devices 4. ICT, Electronics and Communication 5. Sectors promoting import-substituting products, metals and minerals 6. Innovative Food Industries (including flavors and condiments) 7. Animal Health and Livestock 8. Plants and Crops "Gig economy ~A labor market characerized bythe prevalence of shor-lemm canracts or freelance work 8 opposed to permanent jobs. Source: ‘nips Jexco.com/defniton/ia economyChallenge Timeline: Call for Proposals start: 18 May ‘Submission of Proposal: June 1 to 30 June 2020 via dpmis.dost.gov.ph Evaluation, Approval and Fund Release Period: 01 July to 31 Aug 2020 Duration of Projects: from 01 Sep 2020 to 31 Aug 2021 (max. of 12 months, maybe shorter) All the foll for this Challenge: - Development of proposed solution prototype must be achieved in the first 4 months - A minimum viable product/service/process must be ready before the end of the 7th month. - Pilot testing must be completed by the 10th month Activities Jun [Jul[Aug|Sep[Oct|Nov[Dec| Jan |Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun [Jul]Aug| 2020) l2021 Eligibility: Project teams from HEIs or RDIs must partner with at least one (1) Filipino-owned private company that.is willing to adopt the research output and provide at least 20% counterpart funding. The partner company must be operational for the past 3 years and is able to provide proof of active compliance with statutory regulations during the said period. Intellectual Property: All parties must agree to IP rights before pilot testing. A collaborative research agreement must be executed by the HEVRDI and the partner company to formalize the agreement, prior to the implementation of the project. How to Join the Challenge?1. Form your team ~ Researchers and private company partners should form partnerships to formulate and develop their ideas and project concepts. 2. Write your proposal ~ The team shall formalize their project concepts into a written proposal using DOST Form 2B, Form A, Form B and a draft business plan on how your project concept will bénefit and be utilized by the partner company. 3. Submit your entry ~ Upload your proposals together with the following documents DOST's electronic submission platform found at hitp:/dpmis.dost.gov.ph: a. Joint Endorsement letter from Head of the research institute/university and the Partner company b. Technology Adoption Certificate signed by the partner company head . Business Registration Certificate of the partner company d. Business Permits of the partner company for the past 3 years Are you Interested? For any questions or consultations regarding the Challenge details and mechanism contact us through s4c. ousecrd@dost.gov.ph.