UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office

What UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office does

The University of the Philippines System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) is the centralized technology transfer office of the University of the Philippines System, established in its current form in 2011 following the passage of the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009 (R.A. 10055) and revision of the UP Intellectual Property Rights Policy. Headquartered within the National Engineering Center at UP Diliman in Quezon City, the office operates campus-level units across all eight UP constituent universities (Diliman, Los Baños, Manila, Visayas, Mindanao, Cebu, Baguio, and Open University) and is governed by a TTBDO Executive Committee comprising Vice Chancellors for R&D and TTBDO Directors from each campus. Its mandate is to capture, protect, and commercialize intellectual property generated by UP researchers, faculties, students, and staff. TTBDO serves three primary constituencies: (i) UP researchers who disclose inventions and seek IP protection and commercialization support, (ii) industry and commercial partners who license or sponsor UP-developed technologies, and (iii) technology startups and spin-off companies that emerge from UP research.

TTBDO manages a portfolio of approximately 26 licensable technologies organized into six categories — Food/Agriculture/Natural Resources, Education, Energy/Environment, Health/Wellness, ICT, and Materials/Industry Resources. Representative products include agricultural biofertilizers (Bio-N, BioGroe, Mykovam, Mykoplus, Trichoderma), healthcare devices and medicines (RxBox telemedicine device, CHITS electronic medical records, Hemoxyther anemia supplement, Leptovax vaccine, Sambong Tablet, Lagundi), environmental tools (HabTech algal bloom remover, Seamoy seaweed air freshener, ARRAS reef assessment system), industrial coatings (CoaTIN), educational instruments (VISSER sensor-based learning device), and ICT systems (Mapa ng Loob personality assessment, Sinta Papaya hybrid). The office operates the Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) under an IPOPHL partnership that subsidizes patent filings through the Juan's Thousand Inventions (PPIP) program — providing free patent protection for the first 15 years of patent life and training 46 UP personnel alongside 15 Patent Agents across the system. It also partners with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to operate Technology Business Incubation facilities at multiple campuses, including the award-winning UPSCALE Innovation Hub at UP Diliman.

TTBDO generates revenue through technology licensing fees and royalties paid by industry partners, sponsored R&D collaborations brokered between industry and UP faculty, and management of the Invention Disclosure Incentive (IDI) program which pays P15,000 per completed disclosure and P25,000 per patent filing from UP System funds. Distribution routes to industry include out-licensing, joint ventures (with UP equity stake), spin-off company formation, and outright technology sales. The office issues Fairness Opinion Reports under R.A. 10055 and has executed licenses such as the Manila Health Tek healthcare technology agreement. End-to-end, TTBDO functions as a one-stop intake-to-exit commercialization channel for public-university IP, anchored by regulatory mandate rather than market share.

Name

UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office

Legal name

University of the Philippines Technology Transfer and Business Development Office

Website

https://ttbdo.up.edu.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) is the centralized technology transfer office of the University of the Philippines System, capturing, protecting, and licensing IP from over 5,000 faculty and 50,000 students across eight constituent universities to industry partners and spin-off startups through licensing, joint ventures, and DOST-supported incubation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Technology Transfer and IP Commercialization Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH), IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software (BPAEAPAN)

Keywords

• Technology transfer services
• University IP licensing
• Invention disclosure management
• Patent commercialization
• Technology business incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licensing Fees and Royalties: TTBDO generates revenue through licensing agreements with industry partners who pay upfront fees and ongoing royalties to use UP-developed technologies. Licensing routes include out-licensing to existing companies, joint ventures with equity stakes, spin-off company formation, and outright technology sales.
2. Research Collaborations and Sponsored R&D: TTBDO assists in securing research collaborations and funding from commercial enterprises, including due diligence on the best partners for collaborative R&D and consultancy contracts for faculty and staff.
3. Invention Disclosure Incentive (IDI) Grant Administration: TTBDO administers the IDI incentive program providing P15,000 per completed disclosure and P25,000 per Philippine patent application filed, funded by UP System to encourage researchers to disclose and protect their intellectual property.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TTBDO is the centralized technology transfer and IP management office of the University of the Philippines System, managing the disclosure, protection, and commercialization of innovations developed by UP faculty, researchers, and students. Its core offerings include (1) licensing of a portfolio of approximately 26 licensable technologies across agriculture, health, ICT, energy, education, and materials; (2) the Invention Disclosure Incentive (IDI) program providing monetary rewards (P15,000 per disclosure, P25,000 per patent filing) to UP researchers; (3) subsidized patent filing services through its IPOPHL-partnered Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO); and (4) Technology Business Incubation facilities (UPSCALE Innovation Hub and partner TBI sites) supporting startup formation around UP technologies.

Product overview

The UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) is a university technology transfer office that manages a portfolio of technologies available for licensing and commercialization. The portfolio includes approximately 26 distinct technologies across six categories: Food/Agriculture/Natural Resources, Education, Energy/Environment, Health/Wellness, ICT, and Materials/Industry Resources. Key technologies include agricultural biofertilizers (Bio-N, BioGroe, Mykoplus, Mykovam, Trichoderma), healthcare solutions (RxBox, CHITS, Hemoxyther, Leptovax, Lagundi, Sambong Tablet), environmental technologies (HabTech, Seamoy), industrial solutions (CoaTIN, ARRAS), and educational tools (VISSER). Supporting services include the Invention Disclosure Incentive (IDI) program offering financial incentives up to P40,000, Technology Business Incubation facilities through UPSCALE Innovation Hub, and various forms for IP protection including invention disclosure and copyright registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UPSCALE Innovation Hub: DOST-UP Sustaining Collaboration in Advanced Learning Environment - a venue for industry-academe-government collaboration housing IGNITE, UP Enterprise startup incubator, and EntreLead programs.
• UP Enterprise
• ITSO (Innovation and Technology Support Office)

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 spinoff companies launched and 6 more in pipeline through UPSCALE Innovation Hub
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018DOST partners with UP to establish Technology Business Incubation (TBI) facilities at UP Diliman (UPSCALE Innovation Hub and UP Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship), UP Cebu, UP Los Baños (UPLB TBI), and UP Visayas (SEEDS TBI). DOST provides funding, and UP provides facilities, mentorship networks, and access to ERDT-generated innovations for startup incubation.
• Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2012UP signed a Memorandum of Agreement with IPOPHL in February 2012 to establish an Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) at UP premises. The partnership provides fully subsidized patent filing under PPIP (Juan's Thousand Inventions), training for 46 UP personnel on patent search and IP management, accreditation of 15 Patent Agents, and subscription to Thomson Reuters patent database. All UP constituent universities (Diliman, Los Baños, Manila, Visayas, Cebu) are covered under this agreement.
• Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERDT is a consortium of eight Philippine universities with graduate programs in various engineering fields. UPSCALE Innovation Hub supports spinoff companies from innovations ERDT generated. Six additional spinoff companies are in the pipeline through this partnership.
• World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIPO co-conducts training and seminars on patent search, patent claims drafting, IP management, technology commercialization, and other IP-related topics alongside IPOPHL for the benefit of UP faculty and TTBDO personnel.
• QBO PhilippinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQBO Philippines co-organized and co-presented the 1st PH Startup Incubation Awards alongside DOST, with UPSCALE Innovation Hub winning Grand Champion. QBO is a platform for the Filipino innovation and startup ecosystem.
• Manila Health TekmajorTechnology or IntegrationUP approved a licensing agreement with Manila Health Tek for a healthcare technology developed at UP. This represents a successful commercialization case facilitated by TTBDO, demonstrating the pathway from university research to market-ready health technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imperial College Innovations: Imperial College's technology transfer operation supports invention disclosure, patent filing, and spin-out formation for a research-intensive university. Comparable in mandate and offering, with a similar emphasis on translating STEM research into commercial ventures.
• MIT Technology Licensing Office: MIT's TLO manages invention disclosures, patenting, and licensing for one of the most prolific research universities in the world. Directly comparable TTO function and inventor incentive structure.
• Stanford Office of Technology Licensing (OTL): Stanford's centralized technology transfer office that licenses university inventions and supports spin-offs. Direct functional peer to TTBDO with the same disclosure-to-licensing workflow, just operating at much larger scale.
• University of Cambridge Enterprise: Cambridge Enterprise is the commercialization arm of the University of Cambridge, handling invention disclosure, patenting, licensing, and Cambridge spin-out formation. Directly comparable university TTO function.
• Inven2: Inven2 is the technology transfer office for the Amsterdam Medical Center and VU Amsterdam, handling IP commercialization, licensing, and spin-off creation. Directly comparable TTO operating model.
• Oxford University Innovation: Oxford's technology transfer company handles IP commercialization, consulting, and spin-out formation. Closely comparable in mandate (centralized TTO for a multi-faculty university system) and licensing model.

Regional players

• DOST-TAPI (Technology Application and Promotion Institute): The Philippine Department of Science and Technology's TAPI promotes and commercializes DOST and other Filipino R&D outputs. Closest regional peer to TTBDO within the Philippines, though it operates DOST-funded research rather than university research specifically.

Others

• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization): WIPO is the UN agency that sets global IP norms and provides training programs TTBDO directly participates in. Enabler/ecosystem partner rather than a competitor — supplies IP capacity building that TTBDO leverages for its inventor training.
• AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers): AUTM is the global professional association for technology transfer professionals, providing training, benchmarking, and best practices to university TTOs. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supports TTBDO's institutional development.

Emerging players

• Tsinghua Holdings (Technology Transfer Arm): Tsinghua University's technology transfer infrastructure commercializes one of China's deepest university research portfolios. Comparable in mandate, though mostly operates within the Chinese ecosystem; an emerging-player competitor for international licensing deals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/upd.ttbdo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ttbdo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office