DAVAO CITY – An official of the Mindanao Development Authority said that investing in research and development will improve the competitiveness of ASEAN economies.
Undersecretary Janet Lopoz, executive director of MinDA said there is strong correlation between the growth and level of economic maturity of economies in ASEAN and their investments in research and development and innovation.
“Based on studies conducted by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, research and development play major roles in the creation of development plans that will drive the growth among ASEAN economies,” said Lopoz who spoke at the recently concluded 5th International Conference on Public Organization (ICONPO) held at the Ateneo de Davao University.
She added that research and development will lead to innovations that will improve the implementation of strategies in infrastructure and investments.
“We should look into how research and our teachings can trigger more innovation so that we can increase productivity and improve economic opportunities for the larger part of the population,” Lopoz added.
In a statement, MinDA said it established the Mindanao Knowledge, Research and Policy Center to boost research and development in Mindanao.
The center, MinDA said, is a “network of the pool of knowledge and information from the island’s higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutions, training institutions, and service providers.”
“The context is that we now have to empower the HEIs and research institutions in building their capacities to prepare human resources and bridge the gap between industry, research institutions, and academe,” Lopoz added.
She said the network is established with the aim to trigger more innovative ideas and researches that will power the industries and economies of Mindanao. (davaotoday.com)
