DAVAO CITY—The University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) and Palafox and Associates, one of the country’s top urban planning firms, are collaborating on the master plan for the planned Knowledge Innovation Science and Technology (KIST) Park.
Located inside the sprawling UPMin campus in Bago Oshiro, Davao City, the 12-hectare KIST Park will host state-of-the-art laboratories and other innovation infrastructure.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds the KIST Park project through the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Pristine project.
Pristine (Promoting Research and Innovation to Strengthen Transformation of Industries and Enterprises) is a proposed US $400 million Philippine government loan from the ADB, with the DTI as the executing agency.
The Pristine program aims to improve the national innovation ecosystem by establishing more applied research, development, and innovation infrastructure in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
The University of the Philippines (UP) is one of the four proposed Pristine implementing agencies, alongside the Mariano Marcos State University, Batangas State University, and the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines.
“Together with UP Mindanao, we envision a space that fosters knowledge-sharing, technological advancement, and environmental stewardship,” Palafox and Associates said in its press release.
The firm created the master plan for the country's first KIST Park, the 2.8-hectare Batangas State University KIST Park.
The UPMin KIST Park will focus primarily on biotechnology and technology-driven solutions.
Among the planned facilities in the park include:
Technology Innovation Hub: A collaborative space that nurtures the development of new technologies and fosters industry-academia partnerships.
Technology Resource Center: A facility dedicated to providing resources, guidance, and support for startups and spin-offs.
Translation OMICS Facility: A specialized research center that bridges the gap between laboratory research and real-world applications.
Laboratory and Pilot Plant: Supporting research in key areas such as biomass processing, fiber materials development, and food technology.
The KIST Park, when realized, will be able to create an innovation ecosystem where science and technology will be applied to foster inclusive growth and sustained development in Mindanao. PIA DAVAO
