MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Over 100 startup and technology leaders from 20 cities across the Philippines, other parts of Southeast Asia, and the United States have gathered together for a five-day virtual training conference organized by QBO Innovation Hub together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The conference aims to elevate the capacities of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in the country. TBIs are facilities that house startups and equip their business development. They ensure the sustainability of the startup’s operation, the advancement of entrepreneurs, and the partnership of the startups with public sectors.
“During this difficult time, the need to come together and work on solutions is placed at the forefront of innovation. Now is the best time for us incubator managers and technology leaders to help give birth to new startups and develop existing ones,” said QBO Operations Head Natasha Bautista.
DOST has been keen on paving the road through tech-enabled assembly as it aligns with the agency’s #RoadTo100Startups initiative to support the training and development of startup industry leaders all over the country and enable a rise in the number of Filipino startups.
“We at the DOST, firmly believe in the startups’ vital role in our nation’s future. With the right support and resources, their capacities are limitless,” said DOST Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit remarked. “We aim to empower them and elevate their operations so they can remain at the forefront of innovation. That’s why conferences like these are so important.”
Insights from the conference focused on the creation of incubator programs, the use of creative marketing tools, planning of effective online campaigns, fostering of startup engagement, development of incubators in university settings, and garnering of stakeholder support especially during times of crisis.
Innovative startups will also need to know how to remain relevant. That’s why in a session focusing on the best ways to generate buzz for a startup, tech media outlet e27 Co-Founder Thaddeus Koh encouraged startups to improve their public relations tactics and invest in their relationship with the media as it will help drive awareness for their brand.
“PR is about telling the best story about someone else,” said Koh.
“There is a need to support our startups now, more than ever,” concluded Bautista. “Because startups and what they bring — digitalization, automation, speed —will be what we need to keep going in the post-COVID world.”
