Tabuk City, Kalinga – DOST-CAR and the DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Kalinga State University (KSU) for the establishment of the first Advanced Mechatronics, Robotics and Industrial Automation Laboratory (AMERIAL) in CAR on July 6, 2021.
In her message, Regional Director Nancy Bantog stressed that the project will help bring about Industry 4.0 in the Cordilleras that will enable micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to improve their capabilities in the metals and engineering industries.
The industrial automation laboratory will support the technological advancement, workforce improvement, and competitiveness of the local metals and engineering industries with the conduct of research and development activities related to mechatronics and automation in order to improve the products, services, and operations of Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) cooperators and MSMEs.
At KSU, which is the second university in the country that has partnered with DOST for the local AMERIAL team as an extension of DOST-MIRDC, technical consultancy will be readily available for MSMEs, from assessment to proposed solutions to implementation needed for the mechatronics, robotics, industrial automation of their firms or farms.
Going beyond implementing STI programs for inclusive development, DOST continues to ensure that science works for the people of Cordillera by enjoining entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities to cope with the fast-paced technological developments through the AMERIAL. By Christian Robert M. Sandoval
