The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has vowed to step up the implementation of its science, technology and innovation (STI)-centered industrialization plan during the six-year Marcos administration.
“We hope to accelerate the development of globally competitive and innovative industries that have strong linkages to domestic and global value and supply chains. Such an ecosystem will enable the building of a robust and modern Philippine manufacturing sector that will serve as the engine of the country’s industrialization, create high-paying jobs, and accelerate poverty reduction. This will take some time, we hope we can do as much as we can in the six years of our administration,” said DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual in his speech at the UP Leadership Forum on September 9 at UP-BGC.
On the same day, DTI signed with UnionBank of the Philippines (UBP) and Global Learning Solutions (GLS), a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration and cooperation on digital transformation.
The MOU is a big step towards the realization of the agency’s STI-led industrialization initiative.
Under the MOU signed at the Union Bank Innovation Campus (UBIC) in San Pedro, Laguna, the three parties will support the establishment and operation of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) and the Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory (I4PF).
CAIR is among DTI’s initiatives to make the Philippines an AI Center of Excellence and will be instrumental in boosting AI’s contribution to the economy.
The Center will serve as a hub where data scientists and researchers can perform collaborative AI R&D while the I4PF will host pilot, demonstration, and learning laboratories for relevant technologies. These include robotics, intelligent manufacturing, and cyber-physical systems.
Under the agreement, DTI will spearhead activities for collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders while UBP will provide the support for the establishment and operation of the CAIR and I4PF, and house the said establishments in the UBIC for free. GLS will serve as the official training and learning partner for all the upskilling and reskilling activities
The MOU was signed by DTI Secretary Pascual, UBP president and chief executive officer (CEO) Edwin Bautista, and GLS CEO and Founder Roger Collantes.
