THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will intensify its campaign to train more Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) managers in the Philippines through the HEI (Higher Education Institution) Readiness for Innovation and Technopreneurship (HEIRIT) 2.0 Program or 'HIHEIRIT Pa More.'
“Hindi pala lahat ng universities prepared sila to handle responsibilities, especially as incubator manager, so kumuha kami ng universities and we provided fund to establish incubators and that’s why we establish the HEIRIT program in 2017 (We have observed that not all universities are prepared to handle responsibilities, especially, incubator manager. What we did is we have selected universities and funded them to establish TBIs),” Russell Pili, Chief of Research Information and Technology Transfer Division (RITTD) of DOST said on June 23, 2022, at World Palace, Davao City.
HEIRIT program assists selected universities with no capacity to establish TBIs. Grantees will receive at least P8 million to P10 million funding from the DOST- Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
Currently, DOST has 54 selected HEIs in the Philippines who are set to establish their respective TBIs.
TBIs will serve early-stage startups in the region and also provide support to affiliated universities in meeting the requirements of the Council’s TBI funding.
Meanwhile, DOST held a two-day event that also showcases exhibitors who have finished their workshops and training provided through HEIRIT and the University of the Philippines Growing and Developing Enterprises (UPGRADE). Some of these exhibitors are the only Davao-based startup InfinIT LMS (Learning Management System) under HEIRIT, GeoPik Technologies Inc., Aimhi (Artificial Intelligence Meets Human Intelligence), Coffee for Peace, Sure Plus, Virtualahan, and DPI Virtual Tours under Upgrade.
This is the second and last run of the preparatory training program for all participating university-based TBIs through Upgrade of UP Mindanao. KSD