The Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) has conferred on PhilRice the Innovation Award (research institution category) for its Multi-purpose Seeder (MP Seeder) during its 2023 annual meeting in Montreal, Canada.
The award is a testament of the institute’s commitment in advancing innovation and licensing procedures as awardees were selected for their inclusive and impact-driven outputs.
A machine for the dry direct seeding of rice, corn, and mungbean, the MP Seeder met all the criteria such as solid invention value creation process, collaborative teamwork and partnership strategy, identification of roadblocks along the whole value chain, and alignment with LESI’s focus innovation trends.
Four manufacturers from Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Metro Manila, and South Cotabato became licensees of the MP Seeder, a rare feat in the commercialization of a single technology.
According to Atty. Jerry Serapion, PhilRice’s Intellectual Property Rights specialist, the MP Seeder is safeguarded by utility model and industrial design. Co-developers of the machine are the International Rice Research Institute and UP Los Baños.
LESI is an organization of national and regional licensing executives in more than 90 countries, serving more than 6,500 individuals, and promoting the economic importance of licensing, technology transfers, and IP rights.
