Chancellor Murao bangs the gong to open the 3rd Mindanao TBI Summit alongside DOST-PCIEERD Exec. Dir. Enrico Paringit (seventh from left)

UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao led the opening of the 3rd Mindanao Technology Business Incubator (TBI) Summit, on the theme, "InnovNation: Accelerating Davao's Global Disruptive Potential." 

The summit, held on September 27, 2024, at the Pinnacle Hotel in Davao City, brought together business incubators, accelerators, and other startup enablers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The Summit featured keynote speakers, educational sessions, and networking opportunities, all aligned towards democratizing access to technopreneurship support in Mindanao. 

Chancellor Murao delivers the Welcome Remarks

"I am glad that an event like this is happening here in the City of Davao, a city strategically positioned within Mindanao," said UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao in her Welcome Remarks. "As the gateway to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), this regional economic bloc presents a vast market and potential for collaboration," she said.

She noted the data showing Davao region's rank among the fastest-growing startup ecosystems globally, and in the country. "This remarkable ascent is a testament to the region's growing entrepreneurial spirit and its potential to become a major player in the global startup landscape," she said. "These startups are not only driving economic growth but also creating positive social impact and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs."

On the theme of "InnovNation," she noted its bold and ambitious call for a disruptive innovation ecosystem and a disruptive culture, as well. "I think it is very difficult to truly innovate if we all think the same way," she said. "Our diversity is a gift that can lead us to generate new ideas to solve problems of the world. So how do we balance reaching a level of "like-mindedness" so we can collaborate and work together towards innovation while keeping the diversity of our world-views and perspectives intact to fuel new ideas? One way to achieve this is through gatherings such as this, which becomes a venue for a meeting of the minds," she said. 

The Summit at the Pinnacle Hotel, Davao City

The Mindanao TBI Summit was part of Davao Startup Week 2024, convened by IDEAS Davao, Region XI's startup consortium, in collaboration with the Davao City government, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Wadhwani Foundation, UPGRADE Innolab, UP Mindanao, and Davao del Norte State College's Bugsai TBI. IDEAS Davao, created by UP Mindanao for the local startups, is a 2024 Presidential Recognition Awardee for Improving Access to Technology and Innovation. IDEAS Davao consortium is funded under the DOST's Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), whose Executive Director, Dr. Enrico Paringit, attended and delivered a message.

PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit

Director Paringit referred to the improved ranking of the Philippines and Davao City in the global startup reports. "I saw that we have 76 startups and 26 social enterprises in the Davao Region," he said. "Recently we passed nine of our target of 16 regional startups and incubators. We need to do more. Our support investments have increased to P730 Million for the startup development program. We see the significance of the facilities and resources that the government provides to pump prime the development of business, of ideas, all the way down to the community. We have to develop the capacity and build a community by which these technologies can come about. The DOST will find ways through scholarships or various human development programs for our researchers, to support the various innovators, particularly those that are coming off from universities, and to attract members of the community to contribute to making this happen," he said.

Messages of support were delivered by representatives from the Wadhwani Foundation, the Dept. of Information and Communication Technology, and the Mindanao Development Authority. 

Resource persons from startups and their partners engaged in fireside chats on the topics of "Growth Models for Business Incubators," "Developing the Campus Ecosystem," and "Ecosystem Building through Mindanao Startup Consortia." 

The Summit aligns with UP's Strategic Plan for Innovation Hubs, Partnerships, and Public Service. It addresses UP Mindanao's thrusts for the creation of its Knowledge Innovation Science and Technology (KIST) Park, and more Institutionalized Research Centers. It also addresses the sustainable development goals of Quality Education, Economic Growth, and Innovation.   

Visit the Davao Startup Week page here: https://www.facebook.com/davaostartupweek