Innovation integral for global brand’s health-care delivery in the Philippines

I N the pre-globalization era, an assignment to a Third World country was unenviable for expatriates, as they had to hurdle several challenges.

The stellar performance of the Philippine economy in the past years, however, has made it a darling among foreign executives, with some of them expressing particular interest to be posted here.

Philips Philippines’s Country Manager and Health Systems Lead Ashwin Chari said he is enjoying his local assignment while believing in the potential of the country, as it is capable of harnessing digital technologies needed by emerging markets.

Chari explained that the Philippines has a lot of things going for it in the arena of innovation and technology with some early wins, specifically in the sphere of financial technology.

He added, “It just needs to bring everything together and take innovation on a working level to smalland medium-sized enterprises, students, government leaders [and] up to the business [executives].”

Aside from spearheading the company’s business toward higher growth, the country manager is also passionately pursuing the innovation process in the country.

With a huge, young population, Chari is confident there are lots of potential homegrown talents waiting to be tapped.

“Actually, I have seen a lot of [possible] start-ups in the Philippines,” he said. “We are looking for ways to leverage, team up and venture, as well as and think of ways on bringing what we have, then work together,” he added.

At present Philips is currently working with some local start-ups engaged in the health industry, together with those from other countries to develop innovative solutions for the abovementioned sector.

Being part of its corporate DNA, Chari pointed out that the area of research and development is being pursued with vigor to develop health solutions for the people, and that Philips’s R&D team continues to develop such for the emerging markets to serve their burgeoning population.

Moreover, the global company is looking for third-party partners to develop bigger number of startups in fostering greater economic inclusivity in the country.

“There is no timetable in getting partners for our campaign [as we] are looking for sustainable [ones],” Chari said.

“If there are interesting ideas tied to the health sector, particularly for the Philippines, we are happy to sit down with them and see how we can help them out, [and vice versa].”

Philips is also interested to participate in the country’s public health sector. With a population of around 110 million, the country needs every bit of technology and innovation to deliver affordable, efficient and quality health care to the populace, especially those in the marginalized sector.

One such initiative is the Open Innovation program, where Philips is looking for a holistic solution to the entire gamut of local health concerns.

“It is currently a work in progress. We noticed there is growth, and we wanted to harness it. At the

same time we would like to do it in a way that can benefit Philippine society,” Chari pointed out.

Furthermore, the Philips executive said the company is also using technologies such as artificial intelligence in areas such as radiology to figure out a need, or, if a case warrants, further diagnosis.

Role of start-ups

CHARI said there are various areas in the health sector that start-ups can pursue for their projects, such as healthy living, diagnosis, treatment and recovery. In a developing country like the Philippines, it is important to come up with relevant solutions to address pressing issues.

He is confident that local startups are up to the task. They can address real problems, “as they are the ones on the ground to identify [those] causing challenges to people.”

Boosting its innovation program in the country, Chari and his team are pushing the expansion of Open Innovation in Singapore, with the goal of introducing innovation and development to the marginalized sector.

Engineering, business

AN electronics and communications graduate of Singapore’s Nanyang Technology University, Chari believes it will be beneficial for engineering students to also take up business courses while studying, because it will benefit them in the long run as they build up their careers.

“I feel anybody entering the corporate world should be a lot more open to learn new skills and master different tools,” said the one-time Singapore Airlines engineering scholar, and a Master’s degree holder from France’s graduate business school INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires, or European Institute of Business Administration).

“If you are an engineer, you should be able to relate to the business side of things. Whatever you are doing there, a customer or a businessman will ask you several things about a product. So, I believe, it is great for engineers to take some time off and learn something onthe-job,” he explained.

Making an impact

APART from growing the business, Chari said he wants Philips to make a concrete impact to Filipinos. In this undertaking, he believes a government-private sector partnership can achieve the goal of delivering quality and affordable health care.

“We want to help doctors [make a right diagnosis] the first time. We have to put a concrete plan in place,” he opined.

The Philips country manager shared that his Philippine posting is probably one of the most exciting opportunities in his career, and one of its high points.

“If I were asked to choose where to hone my experience in an emerging market as country manager, it would be [here],” he pointed out. “I feel it’s great to be in the Philippines.”