RP to develop biotech growth centers

MANILA, Philippines - The private sector, government and academe are gearing their efforts towards developing “biotechnology growth centers” in some key cities and universities in a bid to make the country become the next Silicon Valley.

“We will try to establish something like the biotech centers in the world, the Silicon Valley or the so-called Bangalore, India (biotech centers),” stressed Ceferino Follosco, cluster consultant of the Export Development Council’s National Cluster Management Team (NCMT).

Follosco said they would initially set up these growth centers in Cebu and Davao as well as in the University of the Philippines and other universities.

“But we will try to visit where the so-called academic institutions are because they have to use the R&D (research and development),” he said.

Follosco said efforts of establishing biotechnology growth centers are expected to help boost economic growth and reduce poverty in the country.

“Because this will spawn a lot of industries around that,” he explained.  

Follosco said similar to the five successful export industry clusters located in regions and provinces, biotechnology growth center may soon serve as a model for people in other areas. 

These model industry clusters include the bottled sardines industry of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte; the furniture industry of Cebu; the food processing industry of the CARAGA region; the eight industry clusters of the Davao Provinces; and the Northern Mindanao Vegetable Industry Cluster.

Clusters are expected to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and globally.

“We want to move these five clusters up to the next level. And we are trying to revive those that did not win in the top five. After that, we look at new things like IT biotech because these have bigger impact,” Follosco further said.