The Department of Trade and Industry-Competitiveness and Innovation Group, in collaboration with the Board of Investments, will hold the first-ever Industrial Digital Transformation Congress on 6 December 2022, with the theme "Digital Transformation and Strategic Repositioning for Globally Competitive and Innovative Industries."

The inaugural event will bring together key stakeholders from various industries, government and development organizations, and the academe to tackle the DTI's industrialization strategy and priorities in the next six years, and foster discussion on ways to further and strengthen collaboration efforts to promote the productivity, efficiency, and adaptability of the industries.

"DTI is pursuing a renewed industrial policy that is science, technology and innovation-driven," Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual said. "Through STI and the use of essential digital technologies, industries will be better positioned to transform and to face competition in domestic and export markets. Dynamic industry ecosystems further serve as the foundation for generating quality jobs and investments, creating new products and services and improving environmental sustainability."

"The conduct of the IDTC does not only take our game to the next level, but it underscores even more our resolute commitment to work with our industries and assist them to become more innovative, competitive, and resilient by capitalizing on recent scientific and technological breakthroughs," Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba added. "Our efforts toward this end have not wavered. For the past six years, guided by our 'Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (i3S),' we have worked hard in establishing a solid foundation upon which our industries could stand firm and shoulder to shoulder with their global counterparts. As we move forward, we remain anchored on our longstanding vision that growth and development must be for all Filipinos. It is in this vein that the DTI adopts a new approach that is driven by science, technology, and innovation to capacitate and prepare our industries and us for what lies ahead."

The Congress will feature industry leaders, academe and development champions, and DTI Secretary Pascual, whose rich experience and insights are essential in navigating through the various issues at hand.

Participants can look forward to rich discussions on the four priority industry clusters, which form an integral part of the DTI's new industrial strategy; the vital role of digital technologies in industry transformation and in improving the country's participation in regional and global value chains; and the critical part of innovation and digital transformation in realizing growth opportunities for industries.

"While it cannot be denied that the pandemic has significantly altered the status quo that was once familiar to us, it has also made us realize that there are still a lot of stones left unturned; that we have yet to maximize our potentials to the fullest; and that we can do more and there are better, more efficient ways of doing things," Aldaba said. "These are the reasons that prompted us to revisit our strategies to ensure that they are responsive to the demands of the time. These are the very inspirations that will keep the heart of our new industrial strategy beating, and us on course and unrelenting until we realize the goals that we have set for our industries. Finally, as we continue to march toward the brave new world of technological developments and new production systems, know that you can always rely on the DTI, your DTI."

The IDTC will be livestreamed on 6 December 2022 via the official Facebook pages of DTI (https://www.facebook.com/DTI.Philippines) and DTI's Competitiveness and Innovation Group (https://www.facebook.com/DTI.CIG)

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