DTI-IPG kicks off first joint ideation workshop at the QBO Innovation Hub
Business Mirror
August 30, 2016
THE Department of Trade and Industry’s Office of the Undersecretary for Industry Promotion Group (DTI-OUIPG), with its Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and the Foreign Trade Service Corp. (FTSC), spearheaded the Ideation and Prototyping Workshop in partnership with Spiceworx Consultancy Inc., at the newly launched Negosyo Center Plus: QBO Innovation Center on August 10.
“It couldn’t have come at a most opportune time when creativity and innovation have emerged as the currencies of the future,” DTI-EMB Director Senen Perlada said.
The workshop aimed to provide practical skills through ideation and prototyping of innovative design solutions. It was attended by over 20 participants from the public and private sectors, joined by start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and One Town, One Product (Otop) vendors.
Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) Assistant Director Marievic Bonoan provided an overview of the Otop program, which served as the main topic of the workshop, where innovative designs can be applied.
At the end of the interactive workshop, the participants were able to stimulate their innovative mind-set and presented creatively their “prototype” solutions on how to further support the Otop Program. Some of the key ideas that BDTP Director Rhodora Leaño shared were technology-based solutions to further promote Otop products and to engage more stakeholders both in the local and international markets.
Perlada encouraged participants to practice the methodology and share ideas to other people in developing creative and innovative solutions to everyday challenges.
The QBO Innovation Hub was recently launched by DTI and IdeaSpace Foundation, which aims to link innovators, explorers, investors, academic institutions, start-up mentors, funders and enablers, as well as a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders from both public and private sectors to convene in constructive interaction. The hub is DTI’s support to the start-up community, particularly targeting start-ups with viable business propositions.□
Abigael Mei M. Yaokana, Department of Trade and Industry