The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has strengthened Northern Mindanao’s innovation ecosystem with the launch of its first unified knowledge platform, a digital hub designed to connect researchers, businesses, startups, and government agencies to speed up technology commercialization and regional economic development.

The platform, called HIRAYA (Harnessing Innovation, Research, and Analytics for a Yielder and Adaptive Knowledge Ecosystem Management System), was unveiled during the opening of the 2026 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week in Mambajao, Camiguin on 22 July. It serves as Northern Mindanao’s first centralized knowledge management system for research, development, and innovation.

Developed under the leadership of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), HIRAYA consolidates research outputs, faculty expertise, intellectual property information, industry partnerships, and regional innovation data into a single platform to improve collaboration and support evidence-based policymaking.

According to Engr. James Kevin M. Sagocsoc, DICT Camiguin provincial officer and HIRAYA project lead, the platform was created to bridge long-standing gaps among innovation stakeholders across Region X.

“Technically, in Region 10, we do have plenty of resources, we talk about human resource, policies, startups, and talents, but we are not working together, we still have gaps that need to be addressed. That’s why we conceptualize HIRAYA, it is a unified platform where all resources from the different provinces in Region 10 when it comes to RDI is present,” Engr. Sagocsoc said.

A key feature of HIRAYA is the Problem Bank, which allows businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises, and government agencies to post operational or technology-related challenges that researchers and innovators can address with available solutions.

“One of the best features we are developing or we completed in [the] phase 1 of HIRAYA is the Problem Bank feature. Technically, if you’re an industry partner, MSME, and you want to enhance your business but you don’t have the technology, here comes ‘Juan,’ who has this kind of technology, but they aren’t meeting because there is no centralized platform, so, HIRAYA will address that one,” Sagocsoc continued.

HIRAYA also provides researchers with information on funding opportunities from agencies such as DOST, the Department of Trade and Industry, and DICT, while giving policymakers access to data that can support science- and technology-based legislation.

“If you’re a researcher looking for funds, you can visit HIRAYA, there you can see fundings from different government agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry, DOST, DICT, and many more. If you’re a lawmaker or you work in the government and you want to create a data-driven policy, you can visit HIRAYA for data, those are the initial features of HIRAYA that everyone in the innovation ecosystem can utilize.”

Sagocsoc said the platform is open to the public and is intended to foster collaboration among government, industry, academia, and communities under the quadruple helix approach.

Future phases will integrate more datasets from government agencies and private organizations to expand the platform’s capabilities and make it a more comprehensive innovation resource for the region.