The mentorship sessions of the project, “Transforming R&D Outputs Into Innovations through Technopreneurship and Customer Validation (TransDI),” which ran from October 2021 to May 2022, was completed by the three CTU faculty innovators. DOST-MIMAROPA Region led the project with the team of UP Technology Transfer and Business Development Office Director.
The event features the technology pitches from CTU-RICE winners, including Math Kit, Shrimp Shell Powder, Sea Urchin Crackers, and Instant Sea Urchin Noodles.
According to Dr. Gamaliel G. Gonzales, principal investigator of CTU-Danao Campus (ERRC), the Math Kit is one of the breakthroughs of the Educational Research and Resource Center.
The Math Kit is intended to assist teachers in teaching fraction operations using manipulative tiles. It is designed to help elementary students improve and strengthen their skills in solving fractions to learn and grasp the ideas better. “I think the kit is ripe for commercialization,” DOST Josie Albano stated.
Shrimp shell powder is one of the innovations developed by the University Production, a by-product of shrimp processing. “The best value from wastes is the opportunity to process the shrimp waste for food, agriculture, and biotechnology,” Dr. Renissa S. Quinones said.
Shrimp shell powder is a versatile product with potential applications in food additives, animal feeds, chitosan, carotenoid pigment, and components for seasoning and flavoring. The product is gluten-free and shelf-stable with no artificial additive.
Dr. Jonita V. Literatus developed sea urchin crackers and instant sea urchin noodles. These are flour-based snacks that have been enriched with sea urchin gonad to increase the nutritional value of the crackers and sea urchin noodles.
Now, CTU is looking for potential pilot partner, research collaborator, and manufacturing licensee of the technology.-Renissa Quinones and Gamaliel Gonzales/University Production Office