ILIGAN CITY (PIA)—The newly-launched innovation program in Iligan City is eyed to further improve Northern Mindanao’s contribution to the country’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index.
The program dubbed Innovation through Leveraging, Industry, Government, Academe Networks and inclusive Community Engagements (ILIGANiCE) was launched through the collaboration of the government, industry, and academe in the region.
During the virtual launching, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña underscored its potential contribution in adding to the list of innovations that can bring the country up in the ranking for global innovation.
The Philippines ranked 50th among 131 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020. According to the GII report, the country stood out in the areas of innovativeness of its business sector and the innovation outcomes produced by its investments, with the levels of outcomes that even surpassed some high-income economies
With the launch of ILIGANiCE, Northern Mindanao now has two innovation programs that actualize the Regional Inclusive Innovation Center (RIIC) vision.
"There are now two innovation hubs in Northern Mindanao, the OROBEST in Cagayan de Oro, and we have now ILIGANiCE that is trying to create an ecosystem that will generate the innovations for economic and social benefits not only for the people in this region but for the whole country,” dela Peña said.
Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña says the ILIGANiCE program can help improve the country’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index.
DOST Region 10 Director Alfonso Alamban shared the same view that the two innovation programs can boost the country’s innovation ranking saying these initiatives will serve as a vehicle to significantly harness the existing resources to produce innovations that have greater impact on the community as well as propel a more vibrant and dynamic economic activity in the region.
“Given the fast technological and social advances in the global setting, the emergence of industry 4.0 as well as the new challenges brought by COVID 19, the ability and the capability to innovate are becoming major requisites in this new era. We are confident that ILIGANICE can do this. This will then be another pillar in the development of the Regional Inclusive Innovation Index,” he said.
Meanwhile, dela Peña recognized Northern Mindanao for being the first region to establish two innovation hubs that will concretize the synergy of academe, industry and government. He also vowed to support innovation initiatives in the region.
“We in DOST continue to support and inspire innovation not only because it is our mandate, it is because we believe we have what it takes to be ahead, it is because we believe that science and technology is for inclusive and sustainable development, and last we believe that we are not daunted by constraints and challenges in bringing science to our people,” he added.
The realization of ILIGANiCE was also made possible through the technical assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines under the Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program. (APB/PIA-10/ICIC)
