CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) continues to pour investments into technology and research and development activities in Northern Mindanao to drive forward the nation’s innovation agenda.
During the opening of the 2024 Northern Mindanao Regional Innovation Program and Exhibit (NORMINRIPE), DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. highlighted the department's funding initiatives, which have been instrumental in establishing key centers and facilities across the region and nurturing a robust regional innovation ecosystem.
These included the Center for Sustainable Polymers at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU IIT), the Bamboo Research and Development (R&D) Center at Central Mindanao University (CMU), and the Sea Cucumber R&D Center at MSU Naawan.
DOST's investments have also empowered institutions such as the Metals and Engineering Innovation Center at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) and the Mindanao Fab Lab at MSU IIT, bolstering the region's capabilities in research and development.
To fortify the innovation ecosystem, DOST likewise allocated resources to the establishment of Food Innovation Centers at USTP-CDO, CMU, and Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology. Additionally, the department has supported technology business incubators such as the CDO BITES and MSU-IIT's IDEYA.
DOST's initiatives extend beyond infrastructure, with programs like OROBEST (Innovation optimizing Regional Opportunities for Business Excellence through Science, Technology, and Innovation) and ILIGANICE (Innovation through Leveraging Industry, Government, Academe Networks, and Inclusive Community Engagement) optimizing regional opportunities for business excellence and community engagement.
"These initiatives have demonstrated effective collaboration among government, industry, and academe, resulting in a cohesive and integrated innovation ecosystem, and are now mainstreamed into the regional inclusive innovation center," Solidum said.