More IT parks to rise in school campuses

Following the success of Ayala Technohub in UP Diliman, more information technology (IT) parks in universities and colleges will soon rise across the country to serve as viable locations for leading IT-BPO companies.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said a new type of economic zone, dubbed as Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technoloy (KIST) park, would be up for launch soon in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology and the academe.

PEZA said it has initially tapped the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) and the University of the Philippines to provide pilot areas – mostly idle lands – within their campuses that can be developed as model KIST parks.

Given the schools’ steady supply of talents, quality of educational infrastructure, and strong scientific-technological culture, PEZA hopes to add more value to the country’s higher education institutions through the KIST parks.

In a recent consultation meeting with PASUC and UP, PEZA director general Charito Plaza said she has challenged the schools’ top executives to venture into ecozone development to be able to attract scientists and venture capitalists into innovation and technology as well as to promote the establishment of more knowledge process outsourcing hubs and research and development centers.

“This strategy is feasible taking into account the country’s highly educated and English-speaking workforce and the large pool of competent college/university professors and students that can provide intellectual capital to locator industries in KIST parks,” PEZA deputy director general Theo Panga said.

“No doubt that the Philippines has a huge potential in attracting FDIs in the knowledge-based, digital and service economy. Given the right infrastructure, the setting up of on-campus KIST parks can also significantly boost the schools’ competitiveness as they engage in knowledge-intensive activities and pursue academe-industry collaboration to advance innovation and at the same time generate business and jobs for the country,” Panga added.

Aside from the conventional IT-enabled activities, PEZA said companies into technology, innovation and R&D may register with PEZA as locators in the KIST parks, where their pioneering products or services and innovative solutions may cater to both export and domestic markets.

The agency said the academe may also partner with the industries, particularly in putting up a research institute and

incubation facility where its scientific studies or technology patent can be offered to venture capitalists for commercial development and production.

“Through the KIST parks and other new frontiers of ecozone development that PEZA is embarking on under director general Plaza’s leadership, we are aggressively forging strategic partnerships with key government institutions, academe and the industry to create a vibrant governance and business ecosystem to enhance the competitiveness of the ecozones and the country in general,” Panga said.