Written by Dannah Jean C. Mendoza, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services
PCAARRD Dr. Melvin B. Carlos, Ms. Lucy A. Lastimosa, Ms. Mary Ranzelle A. Pasang, and the 22 ATBIs gathered for an ATBI consultation meeting cum program review in Roxas City, Capiz.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) conducted a face-to-face consultation meeting cum program review with the 22 Agri-Aqua Technoloy Business Incubators (ATBI) in Roxas City, Capiz on August 3 to 5, 2022.
The group assessed the status of implementation and outputs of the program, fostered collaboration among ATBIs, as well as planned strategies for the enhancement and more efficient management of the ATBIs towards a vibrant innovation ecosystem.
The group also planned for the conduct of the 2nd National ATBI Conference and the 1st National Incubatee Summit, which is tentatively slated in November 2022. The activity calls for ATBIs to lead the development of agri-aqua invention-to-innovation process as well as to promote the technologies of their incubatees.
Furthermore, the activity tackled the establishment of the ATBI Advisory Council. The participants also encouraged the personnel involved in ATBIs to be part of the Agri-Aqua Business Incubation Network of the Philippines, Inc. (AABINPhil, Inc.), an organization formed to foster the development and sustainability of ATBIs through networking, capacity building, policy development, and advocacy to increase entrepreneurial success and to build interconnected solid communities. The activity also addressed the transition of the ATBI Program by anchoring it to the Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Program to establish a more dynamic regional collaboration of technology transfer and promotion initiatives.
DOST-PCAARRD Startup Grant Fund 2022 and other funding opportunities for Startups, observations of the UGNAY Awards committee, and the program timelines and reminders were also tackled during the meeting.
The event was physically attended by Dr. Melvin B. Carlos, DOST-PCAARRD deputy executive director for ARMSS; Dr. Ruth C. Diego, ATBI program leader and AABINPhil, Inc. president, and representatives from DOST-PCAARRD Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD): Ms. Lucy A. Lastimosa, supervising science research specialist and Ms. Mary Ranzelle A. Pasang, science research specialist I. On the other hand, TTPD Director Noel A. Catibog, together with the rest of the ATBI team, also attended via Zoom.
