Ayala teams up with University of the Philippines for artificial intelligence collaboration, capacity building

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp., the country’s oldest conglomerate, is tying up with the UP (University of the Philippines) Engineering Research and Development Foundation Inc. to advance collaboration and capability building on artificial intelligence (AI) and data science.

The recently forged partnership, which will run through 2026, seeks to support the UP College of Engineering’s AI program through scholarships and research funding for graduate students as well as funding for faculty AI projects.

Ayala aims to support industry and national development by advancing AI collaboration and capability building in partnership with UP.

“AI and data science are critical to generating insights and ideas for better decision-making that can help us deliver on our purpose to build businesses that enable people to thrive,” Ayala managing director and group head for data science and artificial intelligence Karl Kendrick Chua said.

“We appreciate the opportunity and are excited to work with UP in advancing knowledge in these fields that benefit both industry and the country,” he said.

Ayala has a dedicated data analytics and AI team called AC Analytics, which plays an important role in helping fulfill the group’s purpose of building businesses that enable people to thrive.

It leads data and analytics work across the Ayala Group, focusing primarily on building data maturity, analytics capacity and data solutions, especially for emerging business units.

“Through the Ayala and Nation-Building Projects, Ayala teams and UP Engineering faculty can collaborate to develop solutions for the most pressing needs of the industry and the nation,” UP College of Engineering dean Maria Antonia Tanchuling said.

“Through this collaboration ably supported by Ayala Corp., we shall endeavor in delivering impactful projects to benefit our country and our people,” Tanchuling said.

As one of the largest conglomerates in the country, Ayala has presence in real estate, banking, digital solutions and renewable energy.

It also has a growing presence in healthcare, mobility and logistics as well as investments in industrial technologies, education and other ventures.