(From left) UPD College of Engineering Dean Dr. Rizaline De Leon, UPD Office of the Vice Chancellor for R&D Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, UP Vice President for Planning and Finance Joselito Florendo, DOST Undersecretary for R&D Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, UPD Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan, Project Leader for UPSCALE Innovation Hub Dr. Luis Sison, Center Managers Anabelle Blanco and Jhaze Asuncion, and UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Cynthia Bautista.
The Department of Science and Technology, through the Innovation Council, DOST-PCIEERD, continues to support startup businesses and just inaugurated the UPSCALE (Sustaining Collaboration in an Advanced Learning Environment) Innovation Hub at the ground floor of the National Engineering Center, UP Diliman on January 8, 2017.
The Innovation Hub will serve as a physical facility equipped with tools and resources necessary to ‘turn ideas into reality’ and foster the growth and commercialization of startup businesses as a product of science and technology. It houses smart conference facilities, business incubation spaces, and technology-equipped platforms, and provides access to subject matter experts, knowledge-based references, and relevant market validation.
The Hub features two programs: the Industry-Government Network for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship (UP Ignite) and the DOST-UP Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship. UP Ignite will align the technical expertise of the academe to the needs and challenges of the industry, and usher in the technologies developed by the researchers to the marketplace.
On the other hand, the DOST-UP Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship is a Technology Business Incubator also in UP Diliman that assists in the startup journey through Technopreneurship workshops, assistance on grant applications, prototyping of products, and customized business support.
The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) is one of the programs of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) that aims to assist startup technology-based businesses at the development stage. It provides a range of resources, services, and facilities that will help them be financially viable and competent in the market (for more information, visit http://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/work-with-us/59-technology-business-incubation-program).
The UPSCALE Innovation Hub is currently in collaboration with 11 other universities within NCR that have technology centers, and is reaching out to other higher education institutes in the country as it strives to lead in developing viable technopreneurship programs, networking, and capacity-building opportunities that will translate and incubate ideas.
The project is headed by Dr. Luis Sison, project leader, with the Hub’s Center Managers Jhaze Asuncion of UP Enterprise and Anabelle Blanco of UPSCALE Innovation Hub, in partnership with IdeaSpace Foundation and National Engineering Center.
For more information about the UPSCALE Innovation Hub, contact Project Leader Dr. Luis Sison or Center Manager Anabelle Blanco at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call at 981-8500 loc. 3045.
