DLSU launches innovation ecozone in Laguna

MANILA, Philippines — De La Salle University (DLSU) has opened its innovation hub at its Laguna campus, the first Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology (KIST) Park established within a private university in the country.

In a statement yesterday, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it recently joined the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and DLSU for the inauguration of the KIST Park.

PEZA management information system and corporate planning acting group manager Rowena Naguit and DLSU president Bernard Oca signed the registration agreement for the project.

The signing of the agreement follows the issuance of Proclamation No. 985 by President Marcos earlier this year, which designates a portion of the DLSU Science and Technology Complex as a KIST ecozone.

The KIST Park is a type of special economic zone to allow the country to make use of idle lands of universities and colleges. It is designed to cultivate ideas, research and technologies to support sustainable and inclusive national growth.

Covering five hectares, the DLSU Innovation Hub will focus on advanced biotech systems and engineering.

It will also feature cutting-edge laboratories, incubators and open innovation spaces that promote sustainability and industry-academe synergy.

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. welcomed the launch as a historic milestone for Philippine education and innovation, emphasizing the KIST ecozones’ vision of accelerating growth through research commercialization and collaboration.

For her part, Naguit underscored the important role of education in nation building.

“Education has always been the bedrock of national progress. Through this KIST Park, we are strengthening that vital bridge between academia and industry, between research and real-world application, between knowledge and nation-building,” Naguit said.

Apart from DLSU, the Batangas State University also has a KIST Park, which offers space for technology-based industry locators and provides access to top-tier talent and tailored innovation resources.