Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr (center), DOST Secretary, and NORSU President Noel Marjon E. Yasi leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the MEIC-NORSU facility on Feb. 7, 2025 at NORSU campus in Dumaguete City. (PIA Negros Oriental/photo by DOST)
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), has established the Metals and Engineering Innovation Center (MEIC) in Dumaguete City, the first in Central Visayas.
The P10-million MEIC is currently located at NORSU and aims to provide opportunities for machinery and product prototyping while enhancing the creative capability for knowledge and technology generation in the region.
It will also boost R&D efforts for prototyping pre- and post-harvest agricultural machinery, fiber processing equipment, disaster mitigation tools, among others in the region, the DOST said.
DOST Secretary Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. said that the MEIC plays a key role in driving innovation and economic growth in the region.
“The MEIC is designed to foster innovation, create practical solutions, and catalyze meaningful change in communities. With its cutting-edge facilities, the center will boost prototyping, encourage research and development (R&D) activities, and bridge the gap between research and application,” he said during the launching on Feb. 7.
He also urged industries, researchers, and students in the region to fully utilize the center’s capabilities.
Boost competitive advantage
Also, the MEIC is expected to boost the competitive advantage of the metals and engineering industries in Negros Oriental.
According to Mervin Gorospe, senior science research specialist of DOST’s Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIDRC), NORSU was chosen to host the MEIC as it met their criteria of being in a position to help boost the province and the region’s productivity.
“MEICs are established in every region. NORSU was selected among the SUCs in Region 7 because it qualified the four criteria: a state university, strong curriculum in metals and engineering, technology, has ongoing programs on machining, welding technological engineering and plan to have R&D,” Gorospe said during a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum.
By establishing MEICs, DOST aims to foster innovation and R&D where SUCs have a pool of ideas to convert it to actual machines to turn ideas into reality that will assist the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“We wanted to improve the quality of R&Ds and technologies and at the same time we can directly help the MSMEs so that they don’t have to import the necessary equipment because they can be facilitated by MEIC at NORSU,” said Engr. Rey Marisposque of DOST MIRDC.
Spur economic growth
For Dr. Ferdinand Masbad, facility in-charge of the MEIC, the center will not only help NORSU but will also spur economic growth in the province as well as help improve their students who are taking up technology courses.
“We are so lucky with this state-of-the-art center as this can be used for our instruction and shared with the students as our equipment in our university will be augmented and advance our institution for this project,” said Masbad.
The MEIC project is funded by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) and implemented by DOST MIRDC. (JCT/PIA7 Negro Oriental)
