Innovation Expo 2019, a showcase of innovations from various fields, will take place in Iloilo City on October 21-24.
“Right now, we are brewing a big, big event for Iloilo. It’s a one-week long event with all innovations from agri-fisheries, business, government, tourism, information and communications technology, and education, among others. All innovations within Iloilo will be showcased in that particular event,” said Joeven Tansi, executive director of the Iloilo Federation of Information Technology (I-FIT), in an interview on Thursday.
The first two days of Innovation Expo 2019 will feature Science and Technology (S&T) exhibit of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The startup community will gather on the third day, simultaneous with the kickoff of the two-day National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Summit.
Tansi said preparations are ongoing, with the city and provincial governments as well as the research and development (R&D) sector, working together.
He noted hosting such a big event will make an impact, especially that Iloilo is being positioned to become one of the country’s Smart Cities.
Just last week, the city hosted the 5th national startup challenge of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) where 15 technology startups from various universities and colleges in the country presented their project proposals.
The top five winners in the challenge each received PHP200,000 that they can use to come up with a developmental template for their proposal.
For the first time, a proposal from the University of Iloilo–PHINMA passed the rigid screening and made it to the 15 technology startups.
To boost the potentials of tech-savvy students, Tansi said they are looking at establishing a technology business innovation (TBI) in state university and colleges in Iloilo.
Currently, TBIs are available at the University of the Philippines and the West Visayas State University.
“If you have an idea, you (can) enroll in the TBI. You nurture it while somebody helps you learn a business model,” he said.
The incubatees stay at the TBI for three years, after which they are expected to pursue on their own. (By Perla Lena, PNA | Photo by Radyo Pilipinas)
