DTI-XI's Rommel Aquino and Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao hold the memorandum of agreement alongside Dean Cleto Nanola Jr. and Assoc. Prof. Cinmayii Manliguez

The UP Mindanao administration entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DTI-Region XI on August 20, 2024, to establish the Center of Research Supporting AI and Robotics (CORSAIR): AI and Robotics FabLab on the UP Mindanao campus.

The DTI-XI team of Krystyn Monreal and Rommel Aquino discuss with the UP Mindanao team of Chancellor Murao, Cinmayii Manliguez, and Cleto Nanola Jr.

Chancellor Prof. Lyre Anni Murao signed the MOA on behalf of UP Mindanao, with Assoc. Prof. Cinmayii Manliguez, chairperson of the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science (DMPCS), signing as the witness. Dean Cleto Nañola Jr. hosted the signing ceremony in the College of Science and Mathematics Faculty Lounge for the visiting DTI-XI delegation composed of Rommel D. Aquino and Krystyn Rosario Monreal.

The agreement is the product of a well-crafted proposal from the UPMin Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO), which will be implemented by DMPCS and supported by TTBDO for business management.

Chancellor Murao signs the agreement flanked by DTI-XI's Krystyn Monreal, Rommel Aquino, and UP Mindanao's Cinmayii Manliguez, and Cleto Nanola Jr.

CORSAIR aims to establish a Shared Service Facility (SSF), specifically a Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab), to support AI and Robotics R&D, innovation, and commercialization. A FabLab has computers and 3-D printers to fabricate physical objects. The UP Mindanao FabLab is targeted to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), startups, students, researchers, faculty, innovators, and other organizations.

The team inspects the prospective site at CARIM building accompanied by Office of Research staff Michael Noel Bonghanoy (third from left)

The CORSAIR SSF will be located in the UP Mindanao Center for the Advancement of Research in Mindanao (CARIM) Building. UP Mindanao and DTI-XI will share the cost of the SSF, with DTI-XI providing the equipment and UP Mindanao providing the marketing, development, and administrative costs.

The CORSAIR SSF aligns with the UP Flagship Programs on Academic Excellence, Innovation Hubs, Partnerships, Public Service, and Digital Transformation. It likewise aligns with UP Mindanao's Strategic Plan for Institutionalized Research Centers, a Knowledge Innovation S&T (KIST) Park, a Smart Campus, and Public Service for Mindanao. It addresses the sustainable development goals of Quality Education, Economic Growth, and Industry Innovation Infrastructure.