Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-developed technologies slammed it out in the recently concluded Seoul International Invention Fair or SIIF 2023 held in Seoul, South Korea, held 01-04 Nov. 2023.
Bagging major awards are DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute researchers who brought home gold and silver for the Hemostat Technology and Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter (PGP), respectively.
Hemostat Technology also bagged two more special awards: Excellent Efforts in Creating an Invention by the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) and Best International Invention and Innovation by the National Research Council of Thailand.
PNRI’s technologies excelled among 484 innovations from 26 countries which competed in the on-site evaluation session on 01 November 2023. Every entry was rated based on several criteria such as technicality, marketability, feasibility, and design and explanation.
Hemostat technology
The hemostat is made of carboxymethyl cellulose that is crosslinked and sterilized by radiation. It provides an efficient control of moderate to severe bleeding of wounds, thus vital in emergency cases and medical procedures.
Carrageenan PGP
The Carrageenan PGP, on the other hand, is a foliar fertilizer made of red seaweeds that can increase crop yield to more than 20 percent. Irradiation technology breaks down the carrageenan into smaller bits that can enter the plants’ stomata or tiny openings and become plant food instead of being applied into the soil.
Developed by the research team led by Dr. Lucille V. Abad, the Carrageenan PGP is now commercialized nationwide and available through online selling platforms.
Nuclear technology making traction
“PNRI technologies are already gaining ground in the global arena,” said PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla as he congratulated the winning DOST team.
“We aim to develop more R&D products and technologies that are highly relevant and developed using nuclear technology,” he added. “This latest award for PNRI researchers will surely inspire the PNRI family to come up with more creative researches.”
Representing the PNRI was Charito T. Aranilla, lead researcher of Hemostat Technology, who received the awards on behalf of the Institute on Nov. 3 in a ceremony held at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) Hall C in Seoul. She was guided and assisted, especially in Business Pitching, by Ronald Alan Pinzon and his Business Development Team.
