RP’s Silicon Valley soon to rise in QC

The famous Silicon Valley in California will soon be replicated in Quezon City.

The University of the Philippines has partnered with Ayala Land Inc. for the development of the site, which is expected to further reinforce the status of the university as the country’s premier educational institution.

The contract for the development of the new science and technology park at a UP property along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman has been signed.

Companies that are expected to set-up offcices at the park include firms in high-technology fields like telecommunications, telematics and biotechnology, and high-value business process outsourcing such as accounting, animation, software development, design and engineering services.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who was present during the recent contract signing, expressed optimism that the project would further strengthen the thrust of the city government toward becoming the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capital.

To date, Quezon City enjoys the highest concentration of ICT buildings and special economic zones in the country. It is home to more than 60 BPO companies, including Convergys, eTelecare International, Teletech, Sykes Philippines, Accenture and Globalstride, Sitel Corp., Call Asia, Epixtar International, among others.

"The project promises to become a magnet for fast-evolving high-technology companies that would prove essential for the creation of a strong business and employment center in QC, enough to provide more employment opportunities for its residents," Belmonte said.

Some 37 hectares of UP’s Commonwealth property have been identified as the initial area for the project.

"This is the best possible use for our idle assets. It will expand our academic prerogatives and help us fulfill our mandate of being truly a national university, serving the interests of the nation," said UP President Emerlinda Roman during the ceremonial contract signing held at the UP Executive House.

The idea of a S&T park attached to a university is no longer new. World-class universities have set up Science & Technology Parks adjacent to their campuses as a venue for collaboration between the industry and the academe.

Aside from Stanford University’s Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, California, there are S&T parks in Bangalore and Hyderabad in India attached to the Indian Institute of Science and the International Indian Institute Technology, respectively. There is also the Tsukuba Science City at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, the Haidan Science Park at the University of Beijing in China, and MIT’s Route 128 in Massachusetts.