The Department of Science and Technology recognized Innovation and Development Accelerators Consortium for Startups in Davao Region (IDEAS Davao) as its top partner in promoting and cultivating science, technology, and innovation in the region and the country.
Of nine startup consortia in the country, IDEAS Davao was conferred with the Kabalikat Award in the TBI Consortium category by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD). It was given during the agency’s 13th Anniversary Celebration on June 28, 2023, at the Centennial Hall, Manila Hotel.
The DOST PCIEERD Kabalikat Awards highlight the impact of collaborations in various fields, from the business, public, academic, partner regions, and consortia sectors to the regional startup ecosystems.
The Council judged the TBI Partner based on its Operation/Implementation/Fulfillment of Consortium Plans/Deliverables, Contribution to the Science and Technology Agenda of PCIEERD, and Compliance with PCIEERD Rules/Policies.
IDEAS Davao Milestones
The IDEAS Davao was established in December 2021 under the Regional Startup Enablers for Ecosystem Development (ReSEED) program of the DOST-PCIEERD.
The University of the Philippines Mindanao TBI led the implementation of the ReSEED Program in the Davao Region.
The consortium aims to synergize the programs of technology business incubators (TBIs), accelerators, government agencies, the private sector, investors, and other startup enablers to achieve a more robust, inclusive, and conducive startup ecosystem in the Davao Region.
Among the active partners and members of the consortium are the local startups, university-based TBIs UP Mindanao TBI, Agilabs of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), UMAsenso Hub of the University of Mindanao (UM); regional offices of DOST, Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); community and international organizations such as DevCon Davao Chapter, UX Davao, Social Entrepreneurs in Mindanao, Women in AI Asia Pacific, WordPress Users Davao, ICT Davao, Impact Pioneers Network, E3 Hubs, Techstars, and local businesses, among others.
In one year since its inception, IDEAS Davao has engaged more than 2,300 participants and stakeholders in about 32 online and offline regional events cultivating the innovation culture in the Davao Region and promoting PCIEERD programs. These include hackathons, innovation, and investment dialogues, the first Mindanao TBI Summit, startup ecosystem mappings, capacity-building activities and workshops for startups and TBIs, and other collaborations mostly during the very first Davao Region Startup Week organized by the startup consortium in August 2022.
They have also facilitated several partnerships between consortium members and partner organizations, such as with StartupBlink, Zuitt, DICT Davao Region, USEP, and the Embassy of Israel to the Philippines as well as the approval of two Mindanao-based startups to the DOST’s Startup Grant Fund program.
The consortium was also able to pool close to P1 million (USD 18,000) worth of funding and in-kind sponsorships.
“We are thankful to the DOST for this award, and we could not have made these efforts to activate the startup ecosystem in the Davao Region without their support to us through the ReSEED Program as well as the active participation of the members and the trust of our partners,”
IDEAS Davao project lead and UP Mindanao assistant professor Miguel Carlo S. Guillermo.
IDEAS Davao regional startup ecosystem lead Candice Kirsten Lleses said the Kabalikat Award greatly benefits the startup enablers and other regional stakeholders.
“This recognition would motivate the startup community in the Davao Region to continue their work for the startups and expand their impact, knowing that their activities paid off despite being a fairly new organization,” said Lleses.
These startup activities have also earned the endorsement of the Regional Development Council in the Davao Region to the City Government of Davao for including the Davao Startup Week as a regular event alongside the annual Kadayawan Festival. The consortium has yet to receive a positive response from the City Government.
Future activities
IDEAS Davao was recently approved by DOST PCIEERD for another P10 million ReSEED grant to conduct several startup programs and activities until 2025.
Candice is an educator, community builder, and Fulbright scholar based in Davao City, Philippines. She lives a double life as a university instructor during the day and a startup ecosystem lead at night. Focusing on building a thriving ecosystem in the Davao Region, Philippines, her interests lie in the intersections of language teaching, policy-making, tech, and business.