DTI, UnionBank, GLS promote innovation, digitization
President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. leads the digital ribbon cutting ceremony of the Unionbank Innovation Campus with Mr. Sabin Aboitiz Chief Private Sector Advisory Council; Board Director, Unionbank, Secretary Alfredo Pascual Department of Trade and Industry, Mr. Edwin Bautista, president and CEO, UnionBank, Mr. Erramon Aboitiz chairperson, Unionbank, Niña Aguas, Board of Director of Unionbank and Mr. Michael Regino, Board of Director, Unionbank during its inauguration at Unionbank, San Pedro City, Laguna on Friday. UnionBank has been investing in digital and pushing for its TechUp Pilipinas advocacy, a P32.4-million partnership with the Asian Institute of Management to jointly develop initiatives on technology, innovation, and digital skills which will allow more Filipinos to upskill themselves in a post-pandemic labor market even before the Covid-19 pandemic. | PHOTOGRAPH BY YUMMIE DINGDING FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE @tribunephl_yumi
SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the UnionBank of the Philippines (UBP) and Global Learning Solutions (GLS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration and cooperation on digital transformation at the Inauguration of the Union Bank Innovation Campus (UBIC) during the 2022 UnionBank Innovation Festival on 9 September 2022.
"DTI puts science, technology, and innovation at the heart of the country's industrial policy to grow and develop globally competitive and innovative industries and achieve sustainable, inclusive, and resilient industrial transformation," Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.
"We are grateful to the Union Bank of the Philippines and the Global Learning Solutions for partnering with DTI in making the vision for the country's twin innovation facilities possible," he added.
Through the partnership, DTI, UBP, and GLS 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. With the support of private sector partners, the Center will serve as a hub where data scientists and researchers can perform collaborative AI R&D. Complementary to the CAIR, the I4PF will host pilot, demonstration, and learning laboratories for relevant technologies. These include robotics, intelligent manufacturing, and cyber-physical systems.
The facilities will also support the development of the digital economy and the creation of new activities in trade, agriculture, manufacturing, and services and encourage entrepreneurship through the adoption of advanced digital technologies in these sectors.
In addition, the collaboration aims to create a robust startup ecosystem and capacitate enterprises as they pursue digital transformation. It likewise facilitates the expansion of e-Commerce, especially for SMEs across the different regions in the country, and encourages collaboration with industry associations, other government agencies, startups, the academe, and other relevant stakeholders to promote R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Under the agreement, DTI will spearhead activities for collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders. The Department will also champion the establishment and development of CAIR and I4PF, in cooperation with other private sector partners to foster a dynamic and robust Industry 4.0 ecosystem in the Philippines.