1WTO Information Technology Symposium, 18-19 October 2004 Enabling International Strategic Partnering in Information Technology Dr. Delfin Jay M. Sabido

1WTO Information Technology Symposium, 18-19 October 2004

Enabling International Enabling International Strategic Partnering in Strategic Partnering in Information TechnologyInformation Technology

Dr. Delfin Jay M. Sabido IX

Chief Technology Officer

Integrated Microelectronics, Inc.

Philippines


Organising a long-term multilateral scientific collaboration is notoriously difficult, especially when the collaboration is meant to be truly international, i.e., not just an extension of one country’s research project or program. This is true even when there is strong agreement among scientists of many nations about scientific issues (scope, goals, methodology, resource needs, etc.) One of the principal reasons for this is a lack of experience, procedures, documentation and venues for designing the needed legal, administrative, and financial structures of the desired co-operative project. In other words, there is a lack of knowledge about how to make the transition from a shared scientific vision to an efficient, adequately funded and staffed scientific collaboration.

- OECD secretariat’s introduction to Mr. Eric James’ paperEstablishing International Scientific Collaborations: Lessons Learned from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, February 2002


Global Trends in Global Trends in NetworkingNetworking

o High- and medium-technology industries (ICT, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronic equipment, computers, telecom, and financial and business services)

o Concentrated in developed countries, NICs, economies in transition with significant capabilities and domestic markets


Formation of these new forms of cooperation was triggered by the

fundamental changes in the structure of the global economy

and process of technological change


o Globalizationo Homogenization of

marketso Fierce competition

o Cost of R&Do Complexity of

productso Speed of

technological developments

o Widespread use of ICT

Structural Drivers

Technological Drivers


Partnerships in the Private Partnerships in the Private SectorSector

o Essential part of international corporate strategies

o Make up for the lack of economic power, competence, foreign experience

o Allows cost- and risk- sharingo Used as scanning devices to monitor new

markets and monitor particular fields of technology

o Reduce lead times for innovative productso To access competitively priced resources

(labor)o Technology transfer


WTO ITA: Enabling WTO ITA: Enabling PartnershipsPartnerships- What are the pre-conditions for successfully developing

international partnerships, and what constitutes current best practice?

- How can the varying needs of ITA member economies be met?

- What areas of ICT have the greatest potential to deliver benefits from enhanced regional and international interaction?

- Which ITA member economies have an interest in pursuing enhanced collaboration?

- What are the potential models for enhanced collaboration?

- What role can or should WTO play in facilitating the growth of ICT networks, collaborations and partnerships?


o Are there policies that ITA members may adopt to facilitate such ICT partnerships?

o What are the strategic and tactical challenges to such alliances and partnerships?


Key Challenges: Key Challenges: Differences in…Differences in…Education/Training/Experience InfrastructureFinancial Resources/Economic

PowerCulture


Some Pre-conditionsSome Pre-conditions An accessible and responsive education and

training system, making full use of information and communication technologies;

Innovative businesses closely linked to the research community;

Research institutions which network domestically and internationally to access complementary knowledge, high-level skills and facilities;

Internationally competitive incentives for high caliber researchers; and

Government, industry and researchers who are emphatically forward-looking, assessing possible technology paths systematically and prioritising accordingly 1st APEC Science and Technology Policy Forum,

Chair’s Summary, Penang, Malaysia, 8-9 October 2001.


Areas and ExamplesAreas and Examples

Education and training, HRD, accreditation (E-Learning, Project Management, Health)

Pre-competitive (transportation, agriculture, nanotechnologies, non-human genomics, marine bio-resources )


Areas and Examples of Our Areas and Examples of Our EffortsEfforts

Common/public good – health, environment, food, sustainable development, children’s issues, gender and development, remote area power services; flooding in urban areas; rural telecommunications

Information exchange, in general, through ICT (E-Learning, electronic discussion forum)


Examples of Other Possible Examples of Other Possible Opportunities for CollaborationOpportunities for Collaboration

o Research & education ICT network infrastructure

o E-Governmento R&D Centers for Excellenceo Use of Open Source Software (OSS)


Research and education ICT Research and education ICT network infrastructurenetwork infrastructure

A network to link academe, research, and government institutions through a nationwide and international (regional and worldwide) broadband network to enable R&D collaboration among various ICT and S&T organizations.

One of the most urgent requirements for several developing countries is to fast-track the establishment of high performance network services for research and development, and for enhanced collaboration.


E-GovernmentE-Government

Such opportunities for partnership and collaboration in the pursuit of e-Government exist not only within a nation, but among nations as well. Countries can learn from each other’s experiences on how to effectively implement e-Government projects. Moreover, it is possible that a successful e-Government project in one country can be replicated in another country with some minor modifications.


R&D Centers of ExcellenceR&D Centers of ExcellenceA mechanism for industry, academe and government, and international cooperation for technology and capability development. This R&D and training center will be a conduit for developing the technologies required, and a place of convergence for technopreneurs, investors, businesspeople, engineers, scientists and technologists. The center will address the need to facilitate technology transfer agreements with companies, abroad and here, local and foreign academe, and to fast track the dissemination of technological capabilities to the private sector


Use of Open Source Use of Open Source Software (OSS)Software (OSS)

OSS refers to software that is developed, tested, or improved through public collaboration and distributed with the idea that it must be shared with others, ensuring open future collaboration.

Open software is an especially useful tool to allow developing countries and economies in transition to leapfrog into the information age. It encourages novel development models that have been demonstrated to be particularly well suited to take advantage of the work of developers collaborating across the Internet.

In general, it also has a positive impact as an enabler for the creation of new markets and business opportunities. Government, in partnership with industry and society, has a key role to play in the debate on the viability of OSS, as government is the largest procurer of ICT in most economies.


How does one set-up How does one set-up and manage successful and manage successful partnerships?partnerships?


Step 1Step 1 - Building - Building Consensus/NegotiationConsensus/Negotiationo What are the possible and desirable

outcomes?

o Clearly determine the economy’s/firm’s needs from the partnership

o Clearly understand the strategic objectives of the economy/firm

o Partner choice and negotiation

o Identify a champion


o Partnership negotiation

- Negotiate a suitable agreement

- Agreement template

o Treat the partnership agreement as a living document

o Understand that the comparative advantages of partners at the outset of the agreement may change over time

Things to considerThings to consider


More things to consider More things to consider o Problems related to the dynamic changes

in the relationship

o Partnership agreements must contain sound provisions for dispute resolution, and the exit mechanism to be employed in terminating the partnership in the event of irreconcilable differences


International Strategy-International Strategy-Related ConcernsRelated Concerns

Export rights Tax issues Dividend and investment policies Partner size differences

N. Vonortas and M. Hamdi, "Partnerships and Networking in Science and Technology for Development," United Nations, New York and Geneva 2002.


Step 2Step 2 - Planning Stage - Planning Stage

o Rules on assigning credito Establishing rules for data (including

format, quality assurance, storage, access and retrieval)

o How to synchronize funding from different sources

o Costs of collaboration


Sensitive IssuesSensitive Issues

o Be aware that technology transfer is one of the most sensitive and contentious issues. Create clear provisions for a framework of technology use in the partnership

o Concerns on ownership, IP and control


IP IssuesIP Issues There was a clear finding that issues

arising from the management of IP can present serious barriers to the development and maintenance of S&T networks. There is a need to develop common protocols for IP management.

WTO Information Technology Symposium, 18-19 October 2004 26

Step 3Step 3 Design of an organization Design of an organization that could achieve the that could achieve the desired outcomesdesired outcomes


Organizational Modes of Organizational Modes of Strategic AllianceStrategic Allianceo Joint ventures o Joint R&D pacts o Joint development agreementso R&D pacts o R&D Contractso Second-sourcingo Licensing

N. Vonortas and M. Hamdi, "Partnerships and Networking in Science and Technology for Development," United Nations, New York and Geneva 2002


Concerns on Organizational Concerns on Organizational ModeMode

o Stability vs. Flexibilityo Equity agreements vs. non-equity

agreements/contractual agreements

o Formal vs. Informal Partnershipo Choice of mode of alliance is affected by

the tradeoff between minimizing organizational complexity and maximizing control over the alliance by each partner.


Organizational StructureOrganizational StructureSecretariat, administrative functions,

project managementHost countryProcessLegalBudget

From OECD secretariat’s introduction to Mr. Eric James’ paperEstablishing International Scientific Collaborations: Lessons Learned from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, February 2002


Step 4Step 4Implementation StageImplementation Stage


Implementation IssuesImplementation Issueso Monitor and review the partnership

throughout its lifetimeo Phased projects with achievable

milestoneso Start with a pilot projecto Project monitoring across national

boundaries, how to manage these?o Scheduling regular face-to-face meetingso Communicate ofteno Rotating leadership o Human resource issues


THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

Dr. Delfin Jay M. Sabido IX

[email protected]

Documents

1WTO Information Technology Symposium, 18-19 October 2004 Enabling International Strategic Partnering in Information Technology Dr. Delfin Jay M. Sabido