Saint Louis University (SLU), through the Research, Innovation, and Sustainable Extension (RISE) Center, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of the Philippines Baguio to formalize a collaboration in innovation. UP Baguio’s innovation hub, aptly known as UP SILBI: Social Innovation Laboratory and Business Inclusion, spearheaded this event. The MOU aims to create a partnership to jointly develop capacity-building activities, foster collaboration, support startups, and facilitate knowledge sharing. This aims to strengthen the city’s start-up ecosystem and further intends to pool resources from several partner educational institutions, industry, and the LGU.
Held on 2 February 2026 at Balay International, UP Baguio, the event featured the theme: “From Intent to Impact: Turning Commitment into Collaboration”. This is in response to the long-standing national call to provide a conducive ecosystem for bringing university research outputs to the community through commercialization. This was made possible through the Higher Education Institution Readiness for Innovation and Technopreneurship (HEIRIT) program of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research Development (DOST–PCIEERD).
Guest startups were given the opportunity to present their innovations to the audience – products such as GROUNDED: Grounds for Environmental Detoxification, TASARAP: an edible cup, and THREADitION: a plasma-based wastewater treatment. One of them was SLU’s The Last Se7en, a group of BSCS students from SAMCIS who developed Auscultate – an AI-powered clinical decision support tool to help healthcare professionals diagnose lung diseases solely based on lung sounds. The same group won 1st runner-up in the 10th Philippine Start-up Challenge held last December 2025. They were accompanied by their research promoter, Josephine S. Dela Cruz, PhD.
As the program continued, each representative was asked to talk about the importance of collaboration. RISE Director, Richel Lamadrid, PhD spoke of SLU’s commitment to contribute to this shared endeavor. Baguio LGU, represented by the Vice Mayor Atty. Faustino A. Olowan, and Budget Officer Leticia O. Clemente, also expressed support, affirming the city’s funding availability. A notable insight and challenge came from the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) Regional Director Jimmicio S. Daoaten, who said we needed “magic” to make the inked promises come to fruition. This meant “making academe, government, and industry collaborate”.
The event sparked a renewed opportunity to “resurrect” the University’s own Technology Business Incubator (TBI) through the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office (ITTO) under the RISE Center. In this way, SLU can truly exemplify innovation as one of the university’s core values, forging an innovation pathway from research to real-world impact.
This initiative aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), by promoting innovation-driven development through strengthened collaboration among academia, industry, government, and local stakeholders. (Article by Melissa May M. Boado, RISE Center| Photos by RISE Center)
