Seven government agencies — the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) — signed on October 2 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on “Inclusive Filipinnovation and Entrepreneurship” held at the Inclusive Innovation Conference 2018.
The MOU is a declaration of understanding by the agencies to collaborate and coordinate in formulating and implementing the “Inclusive Filipinnovation & Entrepreneurship Roadmap”, which aims to develop the country’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem via enhancing the linkages between academe/research community, industry, and government.
“The goal of the Inclusive Innovation Roadmap is to use innovation and entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty in the country. And working together can make this happen,” said DTI secretary Ramon Lopez.
It provides mechanisms in establishing Regional Inclusive Innovation Centers (RIICs), which is the cornerstone of the new industrial strategy known as i3S, as well as a central portal containing government-funded innovation research and data on innovation and entrepreneurship and ensuring its strong alignment with the needs of the industry.
“We are taking a whole-of-government approach to capacitate and upskill Filipinos, so they can shift to higher-paying jobs and business models brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” added Lopez.
A steering committee, composed of the seven agencies and private sector representatives, will oversee the implementation of the roadmap once finalized.
