Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U) has formally joined Aklan State University (ASU) and key regional partners in signing a Memorandum of Understanding and launching TechNest Aklan, a new Technology Business Incubator supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on December 22, 2025, at Aklan State University. The event marks a coordinated push to strengthen research, innovation, and tech-driven entrepreneurship across Aklan and neighboring provinces.
TechNest Aklan will provide start-up incubation services, mentoring, prototype development support, access to DOST-funded facilities and grants, and linkages to industry and investors. University students, faculty researchers, and community entrepreneurs are expected to benefit from technical assistance, business development training, and commercialization pathways for innovations in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, health technologies, and digital services.
Representatives of ISAT U, ASU, DOST, local government units, and private-sector collaborators emphasized the regional development potential of the partnership. Organizers said the incubator aims to translate campus research into market-ready solutions, create jobs, and stimulate inclusive economic growth in the Visayas. The MOU formalizes commitments on shared facilities, mentorship networks, intellectual property management, and coordinated outreach to barangay- and municipal-level innovators.
“By combining university research capacity, DOST technical support, and industry linkages, TechNest Aklan will help our inventors and entrepreneurs move faster from idea to impact,” said an ISAT U spokesperson at the launch. ASU officials highlighted the incubator’s role in supporting student entrepreneurship and community-centered technology adoption.
DOST representatives outlined funding streams and technical programs that will back early-stage product development, testing, and commercialization. Planned activities include hackathons, sector-focused acceleration cohorts, maker-space access, and joint faculty-student research projects tied to local value chains such as agri-processing and eco-tourism tech.
Local government units and private partners committed to providing internship placements, pilot sites, and avenues for market testing. Stakeholders noted that sustaining the incubator will depend on robust university-industry collaboration, ongoing DOST support, and active participation from the regional innovation ecosystem.
TechNest Aklan is scheduled to begin intake for its first incubation cohort later this year, with outreach and application details to be released through participating universities and the DOST regional office. Organizers say the initiative is a step toward building a self-sustaining regional innovation hub that leverages academic expertise to meet real community needs.
