Innovation hubs eyed nationwide

Manila -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is seeking to establish innovation centers nationwide to promote what is referred to as “an inclusive innovation ecosystem” in the country.

During the Inclusive Innovation Conference 2018 in Pasay City Tuesday, the DTI launched the Filipinnovation and entrepreneurship roadmap. One of its strategy is to put up Regional Inclusive Innovation Centers (RIICs) across the country.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the Filipinnovation and entrepreneurship roadmap envisions a strong collaboration among stakeholders; strong business and policy environment for innovation, jobs, and investments; creative talent pool; incubation of innovation; academe-industry partnerships to conduct basic applied market-oriented research; support by government and funders; and the involvement of researchers, experts, and industries across the country.

Lopez added that the RIICs will be at the cornerstone of the industrial strategy of the government as this will strengthen collaborations of the government, industry, and academe and research community to boost their capacity for innovation.

“The RIICs will be set up by building upon the existing elements of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the regions,” he said.

“These centers will be sensitive to the current priority industries and clusters in the regions and capitalize on the cluster and industrial development strategies being implemented by the national and regional or local government,” he added.

The trade chief said the DTI and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are expanding their memorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement the roadmap.

This time, the MOU will include the Department of Agriculture, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Education, and Commission on Higher Education.

“Moving forward, we hope to include other concerned agencies, such as TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) for human resource development; DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) to lead regional/local stakeholder engagement; and DOF (Department of Finance) for needed fiscal support for innovation among our MSMEs (micro, medium, and small enterprises) and startups, R&D (research and development), technology transfer, and commercialization,” Lopez said. /

These centers will be sensitive to the current priority industries and clusters in the regions and capitalize on the cluster and industrial development strategies being implemented by the national and regional or local government.

RAMON LOPEZ Trade Secretary