The Smart City TBI set the stage for technology commercialization as it officially onboarded the campus research directors of Isabela State University (ISU), led by Prof. Dr. Orlando F. Balderama, Vice President for Research, Development, Extension, and Training, and Prof. Dr. Jeoffrey Lloyd R. Bareng, University Director for Research and Development, to Startup THRIVE (Transforming Higher Research and Innovation into Vibrant Enterprise) via Zoom, July 25.

“The TBI is one of the interventions supporting Research & Development. We have a lot of research studies to elevate through this kind of program. Our request is to support this program because we’d like to make a very good impact and sustain it in the long term,” Prof. Balderama said during his welcome message to the participants.

Prof. Betchie Aguinaldo, Smart City TBI Project Lead, presented the objectives of Startup THRIVE, emphasizing its role as an instrument in strengthening the university’s spin-off program and translating research results into viable and commerciable products.

The Startup THRIVE curated by Smart City TBI aligns with the aim of the university in achieving the vision of being a “University for People, Nature, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation,” specifically in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation. It promotes and ensures the sustainability of research results through the commercialization of technologies generated by faculty researchers.