PCCI taps Huawei for innovation center

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has tapped Huawei Technologies Philippines Inc. to provide support for the business group’s innovation center that seeks to equip the local talent pool with in-demand skills in technology jobs, as well as facilitate knowledge sharing among businesses.

Under the memorandum of understanding entered into by PCCI and Huawei Technologies, the parties will work together to develop local talent and expertise in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI).

Huawei Technologies, in particular, will be sharing its cloud and AI know-how and provide training at the PCCI Innovation Center located at the Double Dragon Meridian Park in Pasay City.

“With a shared mission to promote the development of innovation technologies in the Philippines and to cultivate the Philippine AI ecosystem, we look forward to the two-year partnership that will enable a stronger and more robust Philippine AI ecosystem that will make AI more accessible to businesses of all sizes,” PCCI president Benedicto Yujuico said.

He said the PCCI Innovation Center was built with the aim of providing opportunities to Filipinos to learn about in-demand skills and knowledge in AI, robotics, coding, big data analysis, Internet of Things, satellite internet connectivity and blockchain.

“The educational programs offered in the innovation center are carefully crafted to align with the requirements of the tech job market,” he said.

Through the initiative, PCCI Innovation Center managing director Miguel Yujuico said the group is bringing the startup spirit of the Silicon Valley in the country.

He said the group would not just be providing learning opportunities, but also promoting job creation and creating a business accelerator for local startups.

“We are the one-stop shop to turn innovative ideas into full-fledged companies,” he said.

Apart from providing a venue for local talents to acquire skills needed in technology jobs, Yujuico said the innovation center would also serve as a hub to bridge investors and innovators.

“We envision that our center will facilitate knowledge-exchange among start-ups, established businesses, and local government units (LGUs) in moving toward digital transformation and software solutions in the areas of smart cities, medical technology, security systems, and digital banking, among others,” he said.

He said the innovation center is PCCI’s contribution in making Ambisyon 2040, which envisions the Philippines as a predominantly middle class society where no one is poor and people are leading healthy lives, as well as smart and innovative, a reality.

“We hope to accelerate the achievement of Ambisyon 2040 through introducing innovation to local government, the academe, non-government organizations (NGOs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and other sectors such as agriculture, agribusiness, logistics, and transportation,” he said.