DoST aims to ensure that science and innovation translate into higher productivity, better jobs, and more resilient livelihoods on the ground.
AMONG the key technologies and services being rolled out for MSMEs are energy audits and resource-efficiency tools to cut electricity and fuel costs in bakeries, metal shops, food processors and other small plants.
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More than 10,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and communities will be assisted this year under the Department of Science and Technology’s (DoST) program to use technologies in accelerating business and economic growth.
DoST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the machines, software and process packages will be provided to factories, farms and family businesses to help them raise incomes and create jobs.
Artificial intelligence (AI) integration, automation and industry-academe research collaboration plus support from partner agencies such as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Commission on Higher Education will also be provided.
DoST is also targeting to assist ICT startups and other non-traditional sectors, including agricultural enterprises, and scale up around 500 MSMEs to become globally competitive through productivity improvement, material testing, human resource development, and science and technology scholarship programs.
Among the key technologies and services being rolled out for MSMEs are energy audits and resource-efficiency tools to cut electricity and fuel costs in bakeries, metal shops, food processors, and other small plants.
Manufacturing productivity improvement techniques will be provided, including plant layout redesign and workflow optimization supported by DoST engineers and consultants.
Food safety and quality technologies, such as HACCP-aligned practices, good manufacturing practice training, and testing support aim to help firms qualify for Food and Drug Administration approvals and export markets.
Packaging and labeling solutions, using improved materials and designs will help extend shelf life and make products more competitive on supermarket shelves and e-commerce platforms.
Agriculture, manufacturing and retail businesses can plug into DoST’s AI “app store” called the Decentral Intelligent Machine Repository (DIMER) to power chatbots for customer service, demand forecasting models, quality inspection systems, and logistics optimization. This spares MSMEs from the cost of acquiring their own GPU servers or complex data science teams. Also, DIMER’s managed inference can cut deployment time from months to about a day, so small firms can quickly test and adopt AI features in ecommerce, customer support, inventory, or quality control workflows, according to the agency.
DoST is also offering robotics and smart manufacturing solutions for factories that want to automate repetitive tasks, improve precision, and reduce workplace risk; biologics and pharmaceutical R&D technologies to help local firms participate in vaccine, drug and health-product development; and cybersecurity, quantum computing research, and “sovereign capability” frameworks for critical technologies linked to national defense and resilience.
These advanced systems fall under the “Elev8 Philippines” initiative, which DoST expects will generate high-skilled jobs and attract large-scale private investment once anchored in local industries.
At the community level, DoST will keep spreading practical livelihood technologies that families and cooperatives can adopt with modest capital but clear technical guidance. Technology packages developed by the Industrial Technology Development Institute and regional offices cover food processing, non-food production and agriculture. Returning and active overseas Filipino workers can be matched with appropriate technology packages with business training and financing so they can start technology-based enterprises — such as small food-processing lines or personal-care product ventures.
DoST aims to ensure that science and innovation translate into higher productivity, better jobs, and more resilient livelihoods on the ground.
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