Section 3Sec./Art. 3

Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

(a) Blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the ocean ecosystem;

(b) Business incubators refer to facilities where startups are hosted and business development services are provided;

(c) Cluster policies refer to policies which aim to support geographic concentrations of interconnected firms and related actors, such as specialized service providers, academic or educational institutions, MSMEs, businesses, among others;

(d) Genetic resources refer to genetic material, which are any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin containing functional units of heredity, of actual or potential value;

(e) Inclusive innovation refers to the creation of new ideas that results in the development of new products, processes and services, that help improve the welfare of lower-income and marginalized groups;

(f) Innovation refers to the creation of new ideas that results in the development of new or improved policies, products, processes, or services which are then spread or transferred across the market;

(g) Innovation alliance refers to a coalition of research and development-based technology companies, academic or educational institutions, and/or research institutions, MSMEs and other relevant organizations, that have come together to support innovative efforts and enterprises;

(h) Innovation centers refer to centers of competence and innovation activities, either housed in academic, educational, or non-academic facility that supports collaborative research, development and extension (RD&E) initiatives and innovation-related activities between and among academic or educational institutions, RD&E centers, and business;

(i) Innovation governance refers to the institutional setup of the various elements of the national innovation ecosystem, including the institutional structures and the processes governing policymaking and implementation, such as program delivery and monitoring, as well as the process of coordination and collaboration across public institutions and with relevant stakeholders;

(j) Innovation networks refer to the interconnected system of companies and organizations in the knowledge infrastructure that is mainly focused on innovation;

(k) Innovative goods and services refer to new or significantly improved products, services, processes, technical specifications or components, methods, and tools that enhance the governments ability to deliver services;

(l) Marketing innovation refers to significant changes in product design or packaging, placement, promotion or pricing;

(m) Multi-stage process refers to the various stages of product or solution development, from feasibility study, designing, prototyping, testing, and commercialization of products or services;

(n) Organizational innovation refers to the development and/or introduction of new or significantly improved methods in business practices, workplace organization or external relations;

(o) Policy innovation refers to the introduction of new or significantly different solutions to policy problems;

(p) Pre-commercial procurement refers to the procurement of RD&E services for services, solutions, or products that do not yet exist, which may involve contracting by development phase from the conduct of feasibility study, designing, prototyping, testing, and commercialization of products or services;

(q) Process innovation refers to the development and/or introduction of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method;

(r) Product innovation refers to the introduction of a good or service that is new or significantly improved with respect to its features, applications, characteristics or intended uses;

(s) Project-based competition refers to a process whereby contractors bid for contracts for a specific project with the proponent being given the flexibility to submit particulars detailing the unique scope and features of its proposal. The contracting agency shall award the contract to the proponent deemed to have submitted the best innovation solution or product;

(t) Social innovation refers to the process of identifying and delivering new services that improve the quality of life of individuals and communities, including through employment, consumption and/or participation;

(u) Technology diffusion procurement refers to public procurement that is undertaken on behalf of end-users with the view to accelerating the diffusion of innovative solutions or technologies that offer the greatest advantage to users;

(v) Technology platforms refer to self-organized programs or arrangements that allow a wide range of stakeholders to collaborate in identifying common needs and to assemble a portfolio of funding sourced from government or industrial sources or a mix thereof to address those needs;

(w) Technology programs refer to programs that link industrial, academic or educational RD&E efforts towards building national capacities in developing industrially important technologies;

(x) Traditional cultural expressions refer to forms in w'hich traditional culture is expressed and passed from generation to generation, which then become part of the identity and heritage of a traditional or indigenous community; and

(y) Traditional knowledge refers to a body of knowledge, innovations, systems, and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities developed, sustained and passed from generation to generation within a community, and often forming part of the communitys cultural heritage or spiritual identity.