The Industry-Academe Congress on Technologies for Smart City (i-ACT4SmartCity) brought together key stakeholders across the Cagayan Valley Region on October 16, 2024, at the Isabela Convention Center, Cauayan City. This congress aimed to spark collaboration among academe, industry, and government to drive the region’s smart city agenda and enhance its economic and community impact.
Opening remarks by ISU Cauayan Executive Officer Dr. C. Delima and a keynote from ISU President Dr. Ricmar P. Aquino set a tone of unity and innovation, followed by messages from PSITE National President Dr. Joey Suba and CHED Region 2 Director Atty. Marco Cicero F. Domingo. Key discussions emphasized university-industry collaboration, regional startup support, and pathways to commercialize academic research, envisioning Cagayan Valley as a thriving hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The congress featured a Smart City Technology Business Incubator (DISC-TBI) presentation by Dr. Betchie E. Aguinaldo, DISC-TBI Project Lead. A panel discussion, focusing on Strengthening Industry-Academe Collaboration featured Zalven Dayao, AI Expert from MultiplAI, Mars Cacacho, founder of HacktheNorth Ph founder, and Dann Angelo De Guzman, CEO of Cloudswyft.
Another panel discussion showcased the journeys of homegrown startup founders Jemar Jude Maranga of Code Chum, Roger Braun of Bjahe, and Michelangelo Barroga of EXOID Robotics, highlighting their unique paths to entrepreneurship and the importance of addressing user needs. Meanwhile, Engr. Janica Tacazon, Intellectual Property Specialist, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) delivered a lecture on the value of intellectual property in fostering innovation.
Academe experts and leaders also gathered to discuss advancing higher education research and innovation in Region 2, with a focus on turning academic insights into commercialized tech solutions. Dr. Bartolome T. Tanguilig, Chairman of CHED Technical Committee for Information Technology, emphasized the role of IT education in fostering entrepreneurial skills for Smart City innovations, while Ms. Russell Pili, Chief of D Research Information & Technology Transfer Division (RITTD) of DOST PCIEERD, highlighted the importance of universities in nurturing local startups. Dr. Rutchanee Gullayanon, Executive Vice President, Research and Innovation at KMITL, shared insights from Thailand’s tech incubators, and Dr. Orlando Balderama presented ISU’s best practices in transforming research into commercial ventures, aiming to inspire collaboration for impactful regional innovation.
One of the key highlights of the congress was the enactment of the “Cauayan City Innovative Startup Ordinance,” the first of its kind in Region 2, to foster a progressive startup ecosystem focused on smart technology innovations. This ordinance aims to attract and support local entrepreneurs by providing a regulatory framework and incentives, ultimately positioning Cauayan City as a hub for technological innovation and a model for smart city development.
The event concluded with the IDEATECH Challenge 2024 Pitching Competition, providing opportunities for budding student innovators from Cagayan Valley’s Higher Education Institutions through trainings on ideation, problem framing, prototyping, and pitching. Through i-ACT4SmartCity, the region has paved the way for sustainable growth driven by cross-sector collaboration.
