TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte — Dabaonons who intend to focus on creatives, inventions, innovations, and research will soon have a place to ideate and make their ideas tangible at the soon-to-be-opened innovation hub that the Department of Science and Technology (Dost) 11 will be putting be up at the Innovation Building of Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) located in Panabo City, this province.
“Sa tanang gusto mag innovations, investors, scientists, researchers (To all who want to innovate—investors, scientists, researchers), you will have a place in DNSC, to meet. In that hub you will be allowed to ideate, create your Ideas, and make your thought process on how you want to do your innovations,” said Antonette Rita Marie A. Blanco, supervising senior science research specialist of Dost Davao del Norte Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) during the recent episode of Sayron Ta! Pakigsayod radio program.
Designed by DNSC, the innovation hub is also seen to provide a space for innovators and inventors to meet with collaborators in the academe, and in the business sector, providing their ideated products the opportunity to achieve commercial value, Blanco explained.
Meanwhile, Blanco looked at the prospect of DNSC science and technology students scaling up their products of research to commercial scale through a matching session at the innovation hub with Dost business partners.
Dost with Davao del Norte PSTO has already set up in DNSC the textile research hub and the supplementary food hub, which have taken advanced development already, Blanco revealed.
“Advance na ang other hubs. Asa mag sugod ang gagmay pa? Mao imugna ang innovation hub para kadtong gusto masugod pa, didto sa magtambay (The other hubs are already advanced. Where do the smaller ones start? That’s why the innovation hub was created — for those who are just starting, that’s where they can hang out),” she said.
The innovation hub will formally be opened in September 2025 as part of the featured events during the Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) 2025.
Blanco cited the innovation hub as among the “small steps” that Dost is taking towards fully implementing the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program in Davao del Norte once the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Provincial Roadmap has been crafted by the end of the year, aligned with the Provincial Development Plan.
The Smart and Sustainable Communities program aims to transform cities and municipalities to adopt smart technologies. The main goal of this program is to align all the initiatives of the communities towards the SDG of the UN, she explained. PIA DAVAO