By CPUGAD TBI
CPUGAD TBI Team with Ms. Arcillas (DOST VI) during their arrival at the first stop of their Mindanao benchmarking activity in General Santos City on September 1, 2024.
On September 1-7, 2024, members of the CPUGAD Technology Business Incubator (TBI) team went to Mindanao for a weeklong benchmarking activity. The group met with different TBIs and other related organizations with the objective of gathering best practices and expanding its network for possible future collaborations.
The team started the Mindanao benchmarking activity in General Santos City, where the members met with the staff ICEBOX, the TBI of Mindanao State University-General Santos, led by its Project Leader, Dr. Noel Gunay. Then, CPUGAD TBI went to Davao del Norte to meet with the members of BUGSAI, the TBI of Davao del Norte State College (DNSC). The Members of BUGSAI TBI, led by Dr. Jesebel Besas, Project Leader and Mr. Rob Gumba, TBI Manager, welcomed the CPUGAD TBI team and discussed their respective banner programs and exchanged best practices and plans for developing a successful incubation program for their incubatees. The BUGSAI TBI Team also brought the CPUGAD TBI Team to DNSC’s Complementary Food Production Facility and then concluded the visit with a courtesy call with DNSC President, Dr. Joy Sarrosa.
CPUGAD TBI Team with Ms. Arcillas (DOST VI) during their meeting with CDObites, the TBI of USTP.
The next stop was in Cagayan de Oro where CPUGAD TBI met with Dr. Franch Maverick Lorilla (TBI Manager) and members of CDObites, the TBI of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP). The team also had the opportunity to visit the facilities of USTP – the Northern Mindanao Food Innovation Center and the fabrication laboratory (Northern Mindanao Metals and Engineering Innovation Center. The team was also able to visit the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET), the USTP facility which takes charge of the incubation program for students. Also in Cagayan de Oro, the CPUGAD TBI team had a meeting with Serial Disruptors (SD), a startup company that provides innovation trainings to schools; startup-related trainings. The meeting with SD, represented by its CEO, Mr. Karl Dominic Fajardo and other officers provided opportunities for future collaborations between SD and CPUGAD TBI. Also, in CDO, the CPUGAD TBI team meet with officers of the Oro Chamber (Philippine Chamber of Commerce of Cagayan de Oro), Mr. Alfonso P. Alamban and Engr. Avalyn A. Cahulogan to discuss the importance of partnering with the local chamber of commerce for TBI activities.
The last leg of the Mindanao benchmarking activity was in Iligan, where members of the CPUGAD TBI team visited iDEYA, the TBI of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) where they were met by Mr. Constantino ‘CJ’ Brasileno, Jr. (TBI Manager) and Dr. Jinky Bornales, Former Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise. Members of the CPUGAD TBI team were also able to visit the facilities of MSU-IIT – FabLab Mindanao (Center of Innovation and Invention) and the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM), a five-storey building which houses the multi-disciplinary laboratories of the university.
All nine members of the CPUGAD team participated in the benchmarking activity. They were joined by Ms. Raisheine Joyce D. Arcillas, Science Research Specialist II of DOST VI. The weeklong benchmarking activity yielded helpful practices and learning opportunities which CPUGAD TBI can replicate in its operations in CPU. The trip also widened the network of CPUGAD TBI and developed opportunities for future partnerships.