Batangas State University Heralds PH's Premiere KIST Park

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TECHNOLOGY | July 8, 2020

(Image Source: Philippine Information Agency)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has officially designated the Batangas State University (BatStateU) Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology (KIST) Park as a special economic zone through Presidential Proclamation No. 947 following a recommendation from no less than the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director Charito Plaza and Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, the University President, have signed the registration agreement last June 2, 2020 prior to the official designation.

The first of its kind in the Philippines to be registered under PEZA, this new type of economic zone allows academic institutions to lease a portion of their properties to business locators in order to foster dynamic collaboration in technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Slated to launch on July 17, the BatStateU KIST Park aims to create a space for tech startups and facilitate the transfer of university know-how to locator companies. PEZA-registered enterprises will tremendously benefit from the high-value intellectual capital and physical resources of one of the premiere state colleges and universities in the country, including tax holidays and other non-fiscal benefits from operating within the economic zone.

With the Presidential Proclamation affirming the current administration's intent to lead, engage and make a mark in the knowledge economy business locally and internationally, BatStateU President Tirso Ronquillo envisions the KIST Park "to promote industrial research and development (R&D), attract foreign investments in higher value-added activities, and accelerate the country's transition from a labor-intensive economy to a knowledge-intensive one". Heralding the premiere KIST park in the Philippines is an interestingly bold move for Batangas State University propelling the province's progress towards the future in terms of these fields, and sporting a knowledge-intensive economy can further bolster the country's position in today's modern world with the wholehearted support of the national government flavoring the developments.

Batangas State University (BatStateU) is a Level IV state university situated within the CALABARZON region and, to my surprise, the only SUC in the Philippines to be accredited by the United States Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology for its Engineering and Information Technology programs. It was given a rating of three stars in the recent Quacquarelli Symonds' list of the top universities around the world.