The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched Friday, May 21, its newly developed system equipped with artificial intelligence and predictive data analytics capabilities, which does not only supplement the drug-trafficking investigation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), but also cater various types of scientific and non-scientific sample data sets.
DOST Secretary Fortunato "Boy" T. de la Peña described the virtual launch of the Intelligent Data Analysis System (IDAS) technology as "revolutionary, quite packed with breakthroughs that will surely spur the Philippines’ growth in terms of fact-finding initiatives and research.”
DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña on virtual launch of the Intelligent Data Analysis System (IDAS) technology: Today’s launch is revolutionary, quite packed with breakthroughs that will surely spur the Philippines’ growth in terms of fact-finding initiatives and research.
— charissa luci (@chailuci) May 21, 2021
The software, which was conceptualized in 2018 and completed in 2020, is one of the main outputs of the DOST-funded research and development project implemented by the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) and Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI).
"Spearheaded by the team of ITDI-ADMATEL (Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory) and in partnership with DOST-ASTI, this pilot research is indeed a demonstration of the team’s expertise and significant role in providing high-quality and accurate testing services in the country,” de la Peña said during the virtual launch of ADMATEL’s "IDAS, An Intelligent Solution for Industry 4.0” on Friday.
"Our project proponents, having PDEA’s requirements in mind, developed this system that is capable of multivariate and cluster analysis of materials or substances that aid in determining its underlying interrelations,” he said.
The DOST chief noted that the system offers a Kinetic Stability Modeling feature which helps in evaluating the substance’s degradation behaviors.
"It is indeed an advanced tool that our partners in PDEA can take advantage of and adopt in their investigative processes,” de la Peña said.
He said the system was created with a user-friendly, interactive, and accessible interface allowing easy to generate and real-time report files.
"While the whole system may come off intimidating with all its intelligent and advanced features in place, the team guarantees an easy operation of this application all with the end-goals of producing credible analyses and reports.”
He thanked the PDEA for being among the first to adopt the advancement of the program. "You are the first of the many partners we hope to collaborate with within the years to come.”
DOST-ITDI Director Dr. Annabelle V. Briones said IDAS was "initially intended to supplement the drug-trafficking investigation of PDEA, but with the creativity of the project proponents, this has turned to a much bigger intelligent tool, catering various types of sample datasets, whether scientific or non-scientific.”
"Four years have passed since this R&D idea was conceived. Today, we will all witness how this strong project collaboration between ITDI, ASTI, and PDEA, have grown trees and borne fruits, even this had needed to stand in the midst of the health crisis,” she said.
She said the IDAS became a "very effective tool" to conduct multivariate analysis on chemical fingerprints, and can also produce kinetic stability models of samples.
"This has levelled up materials characterization, profiling of impurities, and determining routes and sources of materials and substances, by revealing underlying interrelations among test samples,” Briones said, citing that IDAS is now embarking to a wider R&D perspective.
She expressed ITDI’s commitment as an established institution for S&T Research and Testing to continue addressing the technical needs of the industry, the academe, and even in the public sector. "We are eager to forge collaborations in order to provide excellent Scientific and Technological solutions, that will hasten economic wealth and will promote common good in the country.”
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Cristina L. Guevara said the agency "continues to support innovations and responds to timely needs of our countrymen.”
"DOST envisions itself as the provider of world-class scientific, technological, and innovative solutions, that will lead to higher productivity and better quality of life of the Filipino people.”
She said the DOST cannot afford to be crippled by the threats of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
"We never stop searching for solutions. Many projects in DOST, such as IDAS, have thrived meeting its completion despite the challenges in the R&D situation.”
Guevara lauded the proponents of IDAS for developing a system with multivariate analysis capabilities which analysts and researchers may use for cluster analysis of materials or substances, and to further determine underlying interrelation, and a Kinetic Stability Modeling feature which may be used to evaluate degradation behaviors of substances.
"These two advantageous features, fused in one unique 100 percent Filipino-made system. Isn’t that intelligent? It is true that the only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible, and this can be achieved with a higher level of focus and teamwork.”