THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Northern Mindanao is set to join and exhibit some 30 locally-developed technologies for business matching at the Mindanao Business Conference on September 7 to 9 at the Xavier Estates Sports and Country Club, Upper Balulang, Cagayan de Oro City.
DOST-Northern Mindanao regional director Alfonso Alamban said they will showcase technologies from DOST-recognized research centers by bringing technology generators, investors, and stakeholders in a unique opportunity "to build relationships and forge technology transfer deals between industry players and the DOST's leading innovators."
"We will bring our investors, so it will be like a meeting between investors and inventors. Who knows maybe they like the technologies and invest on it," Alamban said during the weekly Talakayan sa PIA at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel.
Alamban said the Mindanaoan entrepreneurs could adopt these locally-developed technologies for the mainstream market and be commercialized.
Business matching is part of the Regional Technology Transfer Day 2017, an initiative of the DOST as part of its mandate to ensure Filipino technologies are maximized for the benefit of society and local industries, as guided by Republic Act 10055 or the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009.
"It's best to invest in locally-developed technologies because quality is assured, and aside from helping our investors and promoting our own scientists, when these equipment needs updating or needs to get fixed, they can easily be reached compared sa muadto pa sa gawas sa country (to those who go outside the country) to get the work done," he said.
About 1,000 business executives, investors, industry players, policy makers, micro, small, and medium enterprises are expected to attend this year's business conference with the theme "Emerging Opportunities-One Mindanao."
In the same press conference, Ruben Vegafria, chairman of MinBizcon 2017 said it's "all systems go" for what could be the biggest gathering of businessmen and policy makers in Mindanao for this year.
"We are prepared, everything is done, as we speak. At first we thought the martial law declaration and what's happening in Marawi was going to affect our preparations, our attendees, but it didn't."
Initially, Vegafria said they were expecting over a thousand guests but the fighting in Marawi City caused some cancellations. He said they are now expecting at least 800 to 1000 guests.
But he added that foreign guests, such as the Ambassador of Russia and the Philippines’ ambassador to China, are still coming.
"We are also considering the fact that maybe some others aren't going to come, because of the skirmishes. But generally it's comforting to know that despite the skirmishes, the business interest of people in Mindanao is still rising," he said.
"We decided to proceed because this is the time that Mindanaons and Kagay-anons should form a solid front in so far as trying to declare to all that it is business as usual here," he added.
