Addressing Priority Challenges in Strengthening the Innovation Ecosystem in the Philippines
Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE)
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Addressing Priority Challenges
in Strengthening the Innovation Ecosystem in the Philippines

March 16, 2022 | (8:30 AM – 12:00 noon) via Zoom

Executive Summary
The Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting for Improved Development (CLAimDev) organized an online learning event to disseminate the findings of the Performance Evaluation of USAID’s Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Improved Development (STRIDE). Two hundred seventy-nine (279) stakeholders from the government, academe, and industry actively participated in the online event held on March 16, 2022, to share their insights and learn from the implementation of STRIDE and discuss the current challenges and possible ways to move forward.

The learning dissemination event highlighted the current technical and relationship challenges. The country has instituted policies and systems to move the various elements of the innovation ecosystem. However, the discussions surfaced issues on funding, unharmonized policies, capacity building, and technology transfer models. Even as the sectors have found spaces to collaborate, they admit to being stifled within their organizational structures. They are still working in silos, and some are still struggling in their readiness to cooperate.

The stakeholders underscored the need for certain practices to sustain their gains. Among these are strengthening the dynamic relationships in inclusive, collaborative, and practicing inter-office openness, especially in knowledge and technology transfer organizations and business incubation offices. The stakeholders see the value in investing in processes that strengthen partnerships and rethinking mindsets on innovation, especially in instituting a collaboration among innovation ecosystem players that engages communities.

The information gathered from the event will be harvested and integrated into the final performance evaluation report.

Activity/Event Design
The learning event aimed to provide a venue for the activity stakeholders to:

Share their insights and learning from the implementation of STRIDE

Discuss their understanding of the issues and challenges in strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem in the current context, and

Agree on a list of priority challenges for shared attention over the coming years

The event had two major parts: the contextualization and the breakout group discussions.

Key representatives from the USAID (Office of Education Chief Thomas LeBlanc and Senior Education Advisor Mir Tillah) spoke about the work of the USAID in general and the Philippines Mission in particular. They focused on USAID’s support in strengthening the country’s capacity for science, technology, and innovation towards inclusive economic growth.

Officials from STRIDE partner national government agencies shared what their institutions are doing to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem. They shared their experiences with STRIDE and how working with USAID has contributed and can further contribute to the directions their agencies are currently undertaking. DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevarra, NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon, and DTI Assistant Secretary Napoleon Juanillo, Jr. gave their messages of appreciation to USAID. Their remarks motivated other stakeholders to actively engage in the platforms established to continue the collaborative work of the government, industry, and academe.¹

The organizers showed a four-minute explainer video on the innovation ecosystem to usher the participants into the focus of the discussions. The evaluation research team leader, Dr. Agnes Rola, presented the study’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Her presentation triggered the breakout group discussions for a more grounded sharing of remaining challenges and recommendations.

The four breakout groups were based on the elements of the innovation ecosystem:
1. Collaboration
2. Commercialization
3. Knowledge Creation and Technology Transfer (combined in one group)
4. Human Capital Improvement
Two speakers initiated the breakout group discussions by sharing their institutional experiences and directions. The speakers were:

Collaboration
- Hon. Pilar Braga (Davao City Councilor)
- Mr. Aristotle Cruz (Bulacan Chamber of Commerce)
Commercialization
- Dr. Rowel Barba (Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines/IPOPHL)
- Mr. Ruben Vegafria for start-ups and spin-offs (Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Knowledge Creation and Technology Transfer
- Dr. Tirso Ronquillo (Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges/PASUC)
- Dr. Danilo B. Largo (University of San Carlos)
Human Capital Improvement
- Engr. Shearyl Arenas (Technological Institute of the Philippines/TIP)
- Dr. Raymond Tan (De La Salle University/DLSU)
A moderator, a harvester, and a documenter were assigned to each group. The moderators facilitated the discussions around two questions:
- What do you see as other challenges in the [element] between government, industry, and academe?
- What are your recommendations to further improve [element] among the key players in the innovation ecosystem?
The harvesters noted all the points raised by the participants during the discussion, including messages typed in the chatbox. The harvesters then pasted the notes in the Mural. The documenters then translated the contents of this mural into narratives for the documentation report.

(See the Final Activity Design.)

Links to Goals and Indicators

The USAID commissioned the Panagora Group through CLAimDev, a third party, for the performance evaluation of the Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Activity. The evaluation was a means for the USAID to gauge the extent to which STRIDE is meeting its objectives of strengthening capacity in science, technology, and innovation of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines and contributing to USAID/PH’s Development Objective of “Broad-based and Inclusive Growth Accelerated and Sustained” of the earlier Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) as well as the Development Objective of the new CDCS (2020-2024) of “Inclusive, Market-Driven Growth Expanded.”

The evaluation focuses on the three-year extension period, which the USAID granted to allow STRIDE to build on its initiatives during the five-year base period, the lessons learned during implementation, and the strong partnerships between government, academe, and industry. STRIDE works to support the Philippine government’s Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR), the Government of the Philippines (GOP) Filipinnovation and Entrepreneurship Roadmap included in its 2017-2022 Development Plan, and the new framework on higher education. Results of the evaluation will inform the design of the Mission’s next-generation higher education activities. (See Statement of Work for the STRIDE Performance Evaluation.)

CLAimDev organized the learning dissemination event to reach broader audiences by learning from the STRIDE experience.

Partners and Participants

A total of 279 stakeholders attended the event: 187 (60%) from the academe, 71 (23%) from the government, and 21 (7%) from industry players². The stakeholders who participated in the event are:
- Members of RIICs
- National representatives from government agencies
- The staff of regional offices of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Association of State Universities and College (PASUC), and IPOPHL, among others
- Private-sector industry players interested in science and technology and innovation (i.e., chambers of commerce)
- Representatives of HEIs
(See the list of actual participants.)