The call of the Fifth ASEAN Summit to "strive towards technological competitiveness by building on national strength and regional cooperation in science and technology" is the rallying point around which the Committee on Science and Technology (COST) plans its activities and develops its projects. The Science and Technology (S&T) Plan of Action spells out the specific methodologies by which this goal of technological competitiveness can be reached. It identifies five objectives, with each objective essentially specifying interventions in the different components of the entire science and technology enterprise.
These components cover cooperative linkages, both intra-ASEAN and between ASEAN and the international community, S&T infrastructure, human resources, private sector participation, technology transfer, and public awareness.
Progress has been made in a number of areas identified by the objectives of the Action Plan, but special emphasis was given during the year in review to the development of infrastructure and human resources. Milestones were marked in the area of S&T infrastructure development with the completion of the ASEAN Science and Technology Management Information Systems (ASTMIS) project. It signaled ASEAN's growing strength and thrust towards self-reliance in funding and implementation of projects by the identification of three cost-sharing projects to be undertaken by COST.
The year in review also saw the implementation not only of sector-specific human resources development efforts through short-term training courses and seminars, such as those conducted in food science and technology, biosensors, and in solar drying technology, but also in the general area of science and technology policy development.
A number of meetings were held in the past year, the main one being the 33rd COST meeting. At this meeting five high profile or flagship projects were identified as shown in Table 14, below. All eight Sub-Committees, as well as Project Management Committees for various projects, also met to review their accomplishments and plan their future activities.
Of the sixty COST projects, thirteen were completed and twelve are ongoing, while the rest are in various stages of evaluation. The projects cover various areas of food science and technology, meteorology and geophysics, microelectronics and information technology, materials science and technology, biotechnology, non-conventional energy research, marine science, and science and technology infrastructure and resources development. Among the outputs of the projects is the first publication on ASEAN S&T Indicators.
Subcommittee on Food Science & Technology (SCFST)
The 14th Meeting of the SCFST convened in Bangkok in May 1997 reviewed the preparations for the 6th ASEAN Food Conference and the progress of the two projects under the ASEAN-Australia Economic Cooperation Programme (AAECP) Phase III which began their implementation phase during the year under review. The first project, co-implemented with ASOEN, called Waste Water Treatment Technology Transfer and Cleaner Production Demonstration Project consists of two components, namely, technology demonstration and technology transfer. The first component will include the conduct of waste audits, preparation of environment improvement plans, installation of cleaner technology and demonstration of improved waste water treatment. The second component will involve a programme of seminars, workshops, and train-the-trainer activities on cleaner production and environmental monitoring, together with the preparation of guidelines and educational videos based on the case studies. Overall, with these two components, the project hopes to fulfill its three objectives listed in Table 15, below.
The second project, Quality Assurance for ASEAN Fruits (Fresh and Minimally Processed) is co-implemented with SOM-AMAF under AAECP Phase III. The activities planned for this project will involve both R&D aspects as well as the commercial aspects of evaluation and marketing. The research and development areas that would be involved include fruit production, pest and disease control, packaging, transport, and marketing. The early involvement of farmers' cooperatives and the commercial sector in the project facilitates their participation as active partners of research institutions in the development of quality assurance systems for postharvest handling of fresh and minimally processed tropical fruit.
Held triennially, the ASEAN Food Conference has become an important regional forum for food technologists, scientists, engineers, industry managers and executives. Preparations are now ongoing for the 6th ASEAN Food Conference to be held in Singapore in November 1997. Like preceding conferences, the event will feature a series of presentations and discussions in plenary, scientific poster sessions, and informal gatherings. There will also be an exhibition to highlight the various achievements of food science and technology in the region and around the world. Having been identified by the 33rd COST meeting as a flagship project, the event promises to be an excellent occasion for forging links with government officials, academics, and the business community.
Subcommittee on Meteorology & Geophysics
The ASEAN-EU Geodyssea Project, which aimed to determine tectonic plate motion and coastal deformation using space geodetic measurements as a tool for assessing natural hazards in Southeast Asia ended in 1996 after three years of implementation. However, the participating ASEAN Member Countries agreed to continue activities initiated under the project even after the expiration of EU's support. The planned activities include the organization of a field campaign and a workshop in 1997.
The activities undertaken by the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre (ASMC) are progressing well and the Centre regularly disseminates weather-related information through the publication of quarterly reports. The Centre is considering the use of the Internet to disseminate data on the new weather products and weather-related information. Other SCMG proposals are in various stages of development, including those that will further build ASEAN's networking and infrastructure in meteorology and geophysics, such as the Southeast Asia Centre for Atmospheric and Marine Prediction (SEACAMP) and the ASEAN Earthquake Information Centre (AEIC).
The ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre is considering the use of the Internet to disseminate data on the new weather products and weather-related information
Subcommittee on Microelectronics & Information Technology (SCMIT)
The major project of the SCMIT is the Telecommunications Cooperation Training Project under AAECP Phase III. The project has three technical components, namely, training, Internet network development, and rural telecommunications. It is envisioned that the programme will respond to the exploding need for an efficient information and data communications infrastructure in ASEAN to support its rapid economic and social development, taking into account the pressures due to rate and scale of development from a very low base.
The SCMIT also completed its Work-shop on Multimedia Education which resulted in the formulation of a project tentatively called Multimedia in Education Phase II, for collaboration with India. This project aims to strengthen ASEAN's capability to develop both English language and non-English language courseware on a multimedia platform, through a scholarship programme with Indian institutions in information technology. The proposal is currently under evaluation.
During the year in review, the SCMIT also organized in cooperation with CIDA, a Study Tour/Visit to Canadian Microelectronics Institutions in October and November 1996, to explore possible collaboration programmes for implementation by Canada, through informal discussions with researchers from the government and private sectors, as well as with policy-makers and entrepreneurs.
Subcommittee on Materials Science & Technology (SCMST)
The SCMST has intensified its activities with new cooperative programmes under the ASEAN-India and ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogues. Under ASEAN-India, cooperation will be in the areas of rare earth magnets and surface engineering. The proposals for these two projects have undergone evaluation and implementation will start in the middle of 1997.
The ASEAN-New Zealand project is concerned with corrosion prevention in infrastructure and equipment. Earlier consultations between SCMST and New Zealand experts on the design process that will be used in formulating the collaborative research programme culminated in a workshop held in New Zealand in February 1997. The Workshop also identified more detailed areas of collaboration.
Still in the conceptualization stage is a proposal lined up for ASEAN-ROK funding, on development of advanced coating materials for high performance engineering applications. The choice of technologies for development and design of projects are made by SCMST with the goal of improving the quality of ASEAN industrial products.
Subcommittee on Biotechnology (SCB)
New initiatives in biotechnology cooperation are now under development, with the establishment of the ASEAN-New Zealand Biotechnology Fund worth NZ$1 - 1.2 million, over the period 1996-1999. This fund will be used to support biotechnology projects which will match New Zealand and ASEAN needs and priorities. The design process for development of projects which will tap this fund will be modelled after that adopted for the cooperation programme in Materials Science.
Aside from New Zealand, India and EU have ongoing cooperation programmes with the SCB. A Workshop on the ASEAN-India Collaborative Project in Biotechnology was held in Bangkok in June 1996 to identify specific areas of cooperation in plant and animal biotechnology. On the other hand, the ASEAN-EU Workshop on Biosensors held in Bangkok in May 1996 gave participants an overview of research and development activities on biosensors, which will be useful in the formulation of further activities for cooperation.
Subcommittee on Non-conventional Energy Research (SCNCER)
The 16th Meeting of the SCNCER held in Hanoi in May 1997 reviewed the progress of ongoing projects and future activities of the subcommittee. The SCNCER posted a number of accomplishments in their various projects which are supported by different Dialogue Partner funding sources. The project, ASEAN-Canada Solar Energy for Drying Process was completed in March 1996 after three and a half years of implementation. Under the project, six solar drying units and three heat pumps were designed, constructed and installed in five participating ASEAN countries. Through a series of workshops, seminars and practical training during the course of the project, ASEAN researchers gained experience in the design, construction and installation of solar and heat pumps. The successful demonstration of the viability and the potential of solar drying technology has drawn the interest of institutions in Member Countries.
The ASEAN-EU Cooperation on Technology Transfer for Energy Co-generation from Biomass in ASEAN Phase II (COGEN Project) which was due for completion in January 1997 after two years of implementation was extended to February 1998 to enable the participation of Vietnam. The project outputs included the publication of biomass resources sectoral reports and the COGEN Business Line Information Updates which were distributed to more than 2000 ASEAN companies and organizations. The project also developed and implemented the ASEAN Biomass Database to complement the ASEAN-EC Energy Management Training and Research Centre (AEEMTRC) located in Jakarta. Plans for Phase III of the COGEN project are underway.
Under the ASEAN-Canada Solar Energy for Drying Process project, six solar drying units and three heat pumps were designed, constructed and installed in five ASEAN countries
A new service, the COGEN Business Link was also introduced to assist European biomass energy equipment suppliers in networking with ASEAN companies involved in the ASEAN energy market. Consultations are still being made for a future phase of the project including the participation of Vietnam.
The COGEN Programme has been cited by the European Commission as an excellent example of the shift of the European Union to more pro-active strategies, and the promotion of business-to-business cooperation between ASEAN and the EU. The Full Scale Demonstration Projects selected under this Programme represent an investment of some 50 million ECU, with more than 90% being provided by the private sector. Aside from this substantial business impact, the energy and environmental impact of the Programme within the ASEAN region must also be cited among its accomplishments. Because of its success in developing the business network and demonstration projects in particular, and in raising the profile of Europe in Asia in general, the European Commission is looking into methods by which the Programme can develop its activities further.
SCNCER is also continuing to implement its project under AAECP Phase III, entitled Energy from Biomass Residues Supplemented by Fossil Fuels. While the COGEN Programme also deals with biomass, it is aimed at larger, generally cooperative enterprises operating under longer-term contracts for fuel supplies and power sales. The AAECP Project, on the other hand, caters more to remote small scale agricultural enterprises. Vietnam will join in the project activities with funds made available by AusAid.
The third major project of the SCNCER is the ASEAN-New Zealand Natural Gas Utilization in Transport (NGUT) Project. A Project Management Committee meeting and a workshop were convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September and October 1996 respectively in conjunction with the conference of the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV). Steady progress in the project activities such as awareness seminars, standards development, and R&D on the conversion and testing of engines was noted. The entry of Vietnam into the project was very much welcome, with New Zealand committing to provide additional funds to cover Vietnam's participation.
Subcommittee on Marine Science (SCMS)
Canada agreed to extend the ASEAN-Canada Cooperative Programme on Marine Science Phase II until January 1999. This would give enough time for the completion of the three studies, listed in Table 16, to be conducted under the project.
An extension would also allow for the participation of Vietnam in the programme. Two training activities, both on the topic of harmful algal bloom, were conducted during the year in review, both of them held in Canada.
The AAECP Phase II Project on Coastal Zone Environment and Resources Management (CZERMP) also started implementation with the first meeting of the Project Coordinating Committee (PCC) in December 1996 in Ujung Pandang, Indonesia. At that meeting, the Annual Plan for 1996-1997 was adopted. This project will complement national programmes in facilitating linkages among data gatherers, data managers, and decision makers in the area of coastal resources management and environmental development. It will also facilitate the introduction of new techno-logies for coastal zone management. Activities undertaken since the first PCC meeting were presented at the regional workshop and second CZERMP PCC in Manila in June 1997. The same PCC also adopted the CZERMP Annual Plan for 1997-1998.
Subcommittee on Science & Technology Infrastructure & Resources Development (SCIRD)
Considerable progress has been made in the implementation of the ASEAN-UNDP ASP-5 Sub-Programme on Technology, Element II, which is the project seeking to set up an ASEAN S&T Management Information System (ASTMIS). On the content side, the initial data collection for the build-up of a data-base on S&T indicators has been completed, and an analysis of this initial set of indicators done by a consultant. The first publication of this database-cum-analysis is due for release in August 1997. On the technical side, the software and information systems to support the electronic version of the database was developed and installed in the ASEAN Member Countries. The project held its wrap-up meeting in April to review its implementation and make action plans for the fulfillment of the remaining targets of two more publications. From this point on, it is expected that the ASTMIS will make continuously updated information to measure and monitor the development of science and technology in ASEAN generally available.
Other elements of the ASEAN-UNDP Sub-Programme on Technology that the SCIRD is implementing are Element III, Public-Private Collaboration in Regional Science and Technology Development, and Element IV, Technology and Environment. Roundtables on these two topics resulted in a number of recommended mechanisms that ASEAN may wish to consider in developing programmes in these two important areas. Table 17 lists the meetings under ASEAN-UNDP ASP-5 Subprogrammes in Science and Technology. Additional seminars were also organized to further intensify implementation of the Action Plan for S&T, particularly on the prescription to promote the networking of centres of excellence, which in this case focused on the industrial research institutes in the ASEAN countries and the establishment of a technology scan mechanism.
With regard to future plans, SCIRD agreed that its main task will be to focus on human resources development. As an initial step, SCIRD is studying those areas of human resources development in science and technology that are not mainstream activities of educational institutions and organisations where SCIRD play a major role. These considerations will be included in the second cost-sharing project identified by COST, the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Programme. Some examples that the Sub-Committee cited are innovation, technology management, and commercialisation of R&D outputs. Related to this, two activities of SCIRD that hew to this identified focus on human resource development are the workshop of the national experts under the ASEAN-ROK Research Project on Supporting the Establishment of Science and Technology Manpower Development and its International Cooperation System for Industrialization in the ASEAN Nations, and the ASEAN-New Zealand Workshop on Science and Technology Management.
SCIRD continues to monitor the activities of the ASEAN Experts Group in Remote Sensing. The ASEAN-EC/ESA Project on the Improvement of Natural Resources Management and Environment Monitoring through the use of ERS-1 Capabilities in ASEAN Countries was completed in June 1996 after 3 years of implementation. The project increased the capabilities of scientists from ASEAN Member Countries in remote sensing technology through training courses and seminars, as well as R&D activities conducted at regional and national levels.
Meanwhile, three issues, Volume 13, No.1 and No.2, and Volume 14, No. 1 of the ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (AJSTD) were released during the year under review. Volume 13, No. 2 put the spotlight on a special article on Materials Science and Technology. The ASEAN Science Fund is providing continuing support to the publication of the AJSTD.