Bridging STI Ecosystems: DOST-NCR, Industry and Agriculture Consortia, Benchmark Western Visayas’ Thriving Innovation Landscape

Iloilo City, Philippines — October 15-17, 2025 — In a move to strengthen inter-regional collaboration and accelerate innovation, a joint delegation from the Department of Science and Technology – National Capital Region (DOST-NCR) R&D and Innovation Management Section (RDIMS), Metro Manila Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development Consortium (MMIEERDC) and the Metro Manila Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research, Development, and Extension Consortium (MetroMAARRDEC) led a benchmarking mission to Western Visayas to gain insights into the region’s high-performing research and innovation ecosystem, with support from DOST Region VI Regional Director Engr. Rowen Gelonga and guidance from DOST-NCR Assistant Regional Director for Technical Support Services, Ms. Bianca Claudette Canlas.  

The three-day engagement provided an opportunity to explore Western Visayas’ strategic approaches to consortia governance, needs-driven research collaboration, and the integration of emerging technologies in agriculture and supply chain management.  

The mission highlighted the region’s cohesive and policy-driven innovation ecosystem, anchored by the Regional R&D Innovation Committee (RRDIC). Beyond coordination, the RRDIC plays a strategic role in shaping regional STI policy, including the Harmonized Regional R&D Agenda and Technology Transfer Protocol, while aligning stakeholders—SUCs, government agencies, industry, and consortia—toward shared innovation goals.  

The DOST-VI banks on its closely knit research and development institutions, and key innovation players that drive the thriving initiatives of its RRDIC; most takes part as members of the Western Visayas Consortia for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (WVCIEERD), Health Research and Development (WVHRDC), and Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (WESVAARRDEC), contributing to knowledge platforms such as the Visayan Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation (VJSTI) and Kinaadman Journal.  

Western Visayas’ success lies in how institutions maximize their strengths and address gaps through collaboration. Among the benchmarked capabilities were Central Philippine University’s (CPU) leadership in renewable energy (wind) and packaging engineering; the University of San Agustin’s (USA) advanced R&D centers in nanotechnology, drug discovery, chemical biology, and functional foods; West Visayas State University’s (WVSU) establishment of the Center for Digital Transformation for Governance (CDx), its own BINHI incubator, and its initiatives in the implementation of precision agriculture through Project SARAI; and Iloilo Science and Technology University’s (ISATU) innovations in blockchain-enabled agricultural supply chains. These examples reflect the region’s broader commitment to leveraging institutional expertise while addressing limitations in infrastructure, technical capacity, and market access through strategic partnerships, infrastructure development, and human capital investments—including specialized training programs supported by DOST and their respective institutions.  

Further strengthening this ecosystem is the region’s proactive development of sectoral action plans under the guidance of the RRDIC. These include forward-looking strategies in Artificial Intelligence, the Blue Economy, and other emerging fields, demonstrating the region’s readiness to align with national and global innovation trends while addressing local development priorities.  

Evidently, the state universities and colleges in the region have significantly accelerated their innovation capacity through DOST’s wide array of programs such as Tuklas Lunas, Innovation for Development Program (IDP), Human Resource Development Program (HRDP), R&D funding, Startup Grant Fund, Science for Change Program (S4CP), and Local Grants-in-Aid (GIA). These interventions have enabled the establishment of cutting-edge laboratories, strengthened intellectual property and technology transfer systems, and supported the development of community-responsive innovations.  

Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) such as CPU’s CPUGAD, WVSU’s BINHI, and ISATU’s TBI serve as launchpads for startups aligned with institutional and regional priorities, complementing DOST’s Fairness Opinion Board (FOB) assessments to ensure that government-funded technologies are commercialized under fair, transparent, and mutually beneficial terms.  

The DOST Regional Offices play a pivotal role in this ecosystem as enablers of innovation, ensuring that innovations are not just developed but deployed where they matter most.  

The benchmarking mission of DOST-NCR RDIMS reaffirmed the importance of inter-regional learning, strategic alignment, and consortia-led collaboration in building a resilient and responsive innovation ecosystem. The region’s collective commitment to product development, technology transfer, governance modernization, and cultural preservation continues to propel it as a model for inclusive and sustainable innovation in the country.  

While Western Visayas presents a compelling model, the key takeaway lies in how the region has effectively mobilized its available resources, institutional strengths, and policy frameworks to advance science, technology, and innovation. For Metro Manila, the mission highlighted the need to deeply understand its own niche industries, strengths, complexities, capacities, and stakeholder dynamics.   

Moving forward, DOST-NCR aims to translate these insights into context-specific strategies that strengthen regional consortia, foster inclusive innovation, and build a more adaptive and sustainable innovation ecosystem tailored to the unique needs of Metro Manila.  

By Engr. Mecci Guevarra and Engr. Reynaldo Badua, Jr.