By Elijah Espiritu
The Philippine Delegation, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), successfully completed their business-matching mission by establishing 21 partnership linkages, generating inquiries from potential investors, and finding intentional investors and business prospects ready for collaboration or partnership in Silicon Valley, California at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 during their trip on January 4-17, 2024.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), alongside the agencies and representatives of the Department of Trade Industry (DTI), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and the Semiconductor & Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI) successfully established 21 partnership linkages with international company officials along with generating inquiries from potential partnerships, and creating projections of investors for future engagements.
The delegation participated in the CES 2024 and attended the multiple learning opportunity sessions namely: “CES 2024 Trends to Watch.”; “How AI-Powered Strategies can Transform the Mobility Experience.”; “Technology and AI Building a Sustainable, Secure, Superior Future.”; “Innovation Policy Summit”; “Bringing the Limitless Potential of AI Everywhere.”; and “Fireside Chat on Trade, Technology, Innovation, and Investment Forum”.
The CES 2024 celebrated its opening on January 9 with over 118,000 attendees enjoying the showcase of more than 4,300 exhibitors which include the participation of more than 1,400 startups from across the globe. The Philippine delegation were among the global science exhibitors officially opening their exhibit under the collaboration “The Philippine Pavilion”.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) underscores its support for cutting-edge technologies and startups, highlighting its prowess in electronics, consumer tech, smart cities, AI, and quantum computing. Central to its agenda is elevating Filipino awareness, forging partnerships, and drawing investment and talent to the Philippines.
The CES 2024 Philippine Exhibit featured a meaningful distinction and differentiation in the minds of the international stakeholders for economic opportunities and political cooperation, as well as highlighting the Philippines’ technological innovations/cultural assets to secure foreign investments for the maximization of the country’s existing capacities.
DOST showcases three state-of-the-art facilities at the pavilion: ADMATEL, a national testing facility specializing in advanced failure analysis and materials characterization; AMCEN, DOST's cutting-edge advanced manufacturing facility and prototyping laboratory; and EPDC, the country's premier electronics design facility, providing prototype design, PCB fabrication, and electronic product testing for EMC and safety compliance.
The Philippine Pavilion included technologies from SEIPI member IONICS Electronics Manufacturing Services’ (EMS) catalog, particularly in home safety technologies; and programs and services from DTI and PEZA.
During the last day of the expo, the Associate Vice President for Innovation of San Diego State University, Dr. Laura Buffard expressed interest in exploring potential collaboration opportunities after witnessing the display of the Philippines’ Research and Development ecosystem and capabilities at the Philippine Pavilion.
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said that this participation fulfills the objective of exhibiting Filipino innovation contributing to the global tech scene.
"This pavilion is already an affirmation of how well Filipinos can make it in any part of the world.”
- Jhino Ilano (PEZA director)
With the team flying from Las Vegas to San Francisco, they continued their business mission/company visits by meeting and discussing with multiple potential partners.
1. Atom Computing
- The Philippine Delegation graced this quantum computing manufacturing company to catch the presentation of the latest developments of Atom Computing’s quantum technology. Unlike IBM's superconducting qubits, Atom Computing employs optically-trapped neutral atoms for qubits, boasting coherence times of up to tens of seconds and scalability at the atomic level. The delegation showed interest in participating in the 2024 beta release program to use Atom Computing’s 1000-qubit system as a cloud service targeted towards the industry, academia, and government.
2. IBM Almaden
- The Philippine business delegation were briefed on quantum computing's potential by Bulent Kurdi. Jamie Garcia then unveiled IBM's latest milestone, Condor, boasting over 1000 logical qubits, with a focus on enhancing error resistance, while offering skill development opportunities through their online resources and paid quantum network program.
3. Plug and Play
- Plug and Play actively shapes an ecosystem to foster cutting-edge technology development, highlighting their role as a prominent accelerator and discussing initiatives like the Horizon Philippines Program to boost the country's startup scene and drive economic growth.
- Plug and Play’s “Horizon Philippines Program” is expected to follow the accelerator program model:
- Intensive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts.
- Investment readiness training and access to potential investors.
- Collaboration opportunities with corporate partners and other startups.
- Global exposure and networking opportunities through Plug and Play's international network.
- The duration of these programs typically ranges from 3 to 6 months.
4. Mind The Bridge
- The delegation explored Mind the Bridge's AI-powered platform which allows startups to find ongoing corporate Innovation Challenges, get customized notifications, and arrange individual meetings. In line with The Innovative Startup Act Council’s desire to actively pursue collaborations to enhance the Philippine startup ecosystem, this opens up an innovative opportunity for improvement.
5. Dynamico Space
- Based in Silicon Valley, this shared office space assists Filipino startups with funding, mentorship, and global scaling opportunities across industries; ascertaining their role in identifying and solving startup challenges, culminating in programs like pitch nights, accelerators, and Demo Days to connect Filipino entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley investors.
The CES 2024’s theme “Human Security for all” was adapted in the objectives of the business-matching missions by exploring and learning about the topics on A.I. Dominance; Augmented and Virtual Realities; Health and Wellness technologies; the Metaverse and Web3; Robotics and Automation in agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare; the future of Gaming and Entertainment; Smart home and vehicle technologies; and Cybersecurity and Quantum computing solutions.
