The Philippines is on the lookout for possible biotechnology innovators to operate inside the country. To do that, the Board of Investments (BOI) has created an innovative campaign where it’s most likely to find the best minds for technology – in San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley, USA. Aiming to attract more investments in the field of biotechnology, the Philippine delegation met with healthcare innovators in America.
Bannering its “Make It Happen in the Philippines” campaign, the BOI is doing a roadshow in different parts of America. Specifically, it stopped by in Florida, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to entice biotech innovators. It does this by showing opportunities in the country for US-based startups in the life sciences and healthcare space.
The team was led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba. Along with him were a host of Filipino biotech innovators. Of note is the leader of a Filipino-American biotechnology company. Their enterprise caters to the latest innovation in pre-cancer screening and opening up a whole new dimension of biology called the ‘Glycoverse’. To strengthen their presence in the Philippines, they’re building their Artificial Intelligence (AI) team in the country this year, according to Aldaba.
The delegation also met with other biotech innovators in America. One particular enterprise of interest is an early-stage startup and developer of a neuromodulation platform that offers a new type of therapeutic medical device that enables patients to get cured of diseases of undesired neural activities.
In addition, they also met with a media and research firm in the healthcare sector. Along with that, they made sure to talk to a host of investors that focus on public-private funds investing in entrepreneurs promoting health fitness and well-being.
What makes biotechnology such an enterprising tech is that it deals with technology that could help people fight disease and live a better life. In the process, biotech uses many emerging ICT technologies to succeed. These could include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- the Internet of Things (IoT)
- Cloud technology
- Big Data
- Quantum Computing
Indeed, ICT incorporates a host of electronic technologies and techniques to manage data or otherwise called information and knowledge. The computer is a chief research tool for instance. Also, information-handling tools are used not just to hold information but more importantly to arrive at sound conclusions when processing it.
Strictly speaking, biotechnology is an industry-driven by science and deals with the deployment of living organisms and molecular biology with the goal of producing healthcare-related products. A concrete example is the brewing and baking of bread which basically means the use of yeast and living organisms to produce your desired product.
The Philippines has been adopting digitisation for some years now and is ramping up its efforts for the good of its people. For instance, the archipelago has been pushing the envelope when it comes to smart farming. It also recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement to expand its nuclear energy capabilities.
