The Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA (DOST-MIMAROPA), Palawan State University (PSU), Palaweño ICT Association (PICTA), and Make a Difference (MAD) Industries of Malaysia opened the first ever international Information and Communications Technology (ICT) business incubator in the region last December 14, 2015 at the Palawan State University-Main Campus in Puerto Princesa City.

The Palawan International Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Business Incubator cum Start-up Hub or Palawan ITBI will serve as a hub for local technopreneurs to develop their tech-relevant ideas into world-class products. The region is currently seeing a growing number of technology-based startups.

As DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director Dr. Josefina P. Abilay said in her speech during the launch, the hub is where “ideas can be transformed into products and start-ups can be guided to become fully-fledged entrepreneurs.” 

Palawan ITBI is a step closer to the goals of DOST, PSU, and PICTA, namely, to nurture technopreneurship, promote public-private partnership in the development of MIMAROPA, create more jobs, and introduce local technology ventures into the ASEAN Economic Community as well as the East ASEAN Growth Area which consists of  Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

It will be operated under the MAD Incubator management framework and a partnership between a successful MAD Incubator owned by Andrew Wong.

The launching was also attended by outgoing PSU President Jeter Sespeñe, Elliot Hsu of Taiwan-based Hand Link Corporation, City Councilor and ICT Committee Chairman Eleutherius Edualino, students and faculty members from PSU, and media representatives.