The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on third reading an ordinance providing for policies and strategies on research, sustainability, innovation, technology transfer, creating an innovation alliance between the city government, economic industry, non-government organizations and educational institutions, providing funds and for other purposes.
Under Ordinance No. 63, series of 2023, the city government recognizes the potential of collaborative research and innovation initiatives to develop solutions in addressing community needs, thus, research output of academic institutions and independent researchers shall be given opportunities for application through participative governance and facilitation.
The ordinance admitted that the government does not have the monopoly of knowledge to address varying public issues and concerns, thus, the expertise of researchers and innovators shall be tapped as a valuable resource for strategic and sustainable policies and programs.
The ordinance created a public-private partnership innovation alliance to be known as the Incubator Baguio and develop a local branding for innovation and shall be utilized as a major platform for the innovation continuum between the city government and research and innovation partners.
The Incubator Baguio shall be composed but shall not be limited to the City Mayor as Convenor with the City Planning and Development Coordinator as the Co-Convenor and the higher education institution partners such as Baguio Central University (BCU), Saint Louis University (SLU), University of Baguio (UB), University of Cordilleras (UC) and University of the Philippines College Baguio (UPCB), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, Department of Information and Communication Technology, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as members. Other members of the alliance are the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Ethics, Governmental Affairs and Personnel, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Baguio City library, multinational research and innovation groups, and representatives from other allied industries such as the micro, small and medium enterprises, other research innovation and technological institutions for awareness, readiness and advancement of knowledge and innovation.
The alliance shall ensure proper facilitation on the use, generation, acquisition, and management of intellectual property, and ensure that government intellectual property is used to generate public value, knowledge transfer and innovation to the fullest extent possible.
The ordinance stated that there shall be a centralized database of researches and other forms of innovation undertaken by the innovation alliance. It shall be secured by the City Planning and Development Office. Access and sharing of the database shall be available to all members of the innovation alliance after due consent from all members.
Among the priority areas for innovation include food security and sustainable urban agriculture, education and the academe, health, social development, environmental protection, entrepreneurship, safety and security, youth, family and social work, secure, clean and renewable energy, potentials for innovation of traditional knowledge and traditional culture expressions, development of human capital, transportation services and creative research, among others.
