The Department of Trade and Industry Region 4-A, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños Technology Transfer and Business Development Office and the UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT), inaugurated the UPLB Start-up Innovation and Business Opportunity Linkages (SIBOL) Fabrication Laboratory on October 23, 2019 at the IABE Building, CEAT Building, UPLB, Los Baños, Laguna.
As Shared Service Facilities (SSF), the UPLB Fab Lab caters to stakeholders that require rapid prototyping services, small-volume manufacturing, and computer modeling. This project is envisioned to enable the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to increase their productivity, accelerate their competitiveness by giving them efficient technologies and sophisticated equipment, and address the gap and bottlenecks in the value chain of priority industry clusters.
“We are very happy with this state-of-the-art facility in Laguna as we want to have an innovation ecosystem in the Region to support robust technology-driven and globally-competitive MSMEs,” said DTI CALABARZON Director Marilou Q. Toledo.
This innovative Research and Development Facility is established for design thinking, learning, and digital-enabled production workflows, with the aim to be an industry magnet for potential R & D collaboration and technology exchanges and training sessions for MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Equipped with the latest fabrication tools, the UPLB SIBOL Fab Lab will help business start-ups, stimulate MSME productivity and innovation, and provide space for business owners and academics to interreact, giving birth to new ideas and perspectives for generating solutions,” said UPLB Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr.
Sanchez is confident that the Fab Lab will be a testament to the University’s dedication in providing linkages among the academe, industry, and government and in supporting entrepreneurs by giving them better access to technology and research, helping them develop ideas and concepts.
“It is our hope that the SIBOL Fab Lab will be a springboard for entrepreneurship and revolutionize and uplift the lives of the Filipinos in the name of public service,” added Sanchez.
During his Message, DTI Management Services Group (MSG) Undersecretary Ireneo V. Vizmonte said that the DTI has regional inclusive innovation centers like the SIBOL Fab Lab to build a local start-up ecosystem in the CALABARZON.
The equipment awarded by the DTI to UPLB are 3D printer, CNC router, 3D scanner, laser cutter, milling machine, and printer and cutter, amounting to Php 14.3 million. Other services that the Fab Lab offer are research and training programs.
Prior to the launching of the SIBOL Fab Lab, DTI also successfully established the Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Art (IDEA) Fab Lab at the Antipolo Institute of Technology in Antipolo City, Rizal on November 27, 2018 and the Learning, Innovation, Knowledge-Honing, and Art (LIKHA) Fab Lab at the Batangas State University in Batangas City, Batangas on December 27, 2018. Presently, the CALABARZON Region has three major fab labs, which are open to MSMEs, aspiring entrepreneurs, designers, students, researchers, among others.♦
Date of Release: 28 October 2019