A collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), De La Salle University (DLSU), and Devcon, a nonprofit tech community, the Climate Resilience Technology (CResT) initiative seeks to transform the Philippines into a climate innovation hub, using local challenges as a foundation for global solutions.
“The goal is to encourage a new breed of tech startups focused on material science, battery technology, robotics, and other deep sciences related to climate innovation,” said Winston Damarillo, founder of Devcon.
As a multistakeholder initiative, CResT’s focus will span research, incubation, deployment, and expansion of climate technologies, beginning with the Philippines and then expanding to international markets. DLSU, through its Animo Labs, will support research commercialization and venture creation, offering expertise to help ensure these innovations address local climate challenges effectively.
Damarillo said one of the objectives of the initiative is to encourage climate tech startups from other countries to base their innovations in the Philippines.
Marketable solutions
The Philippines, being highly vulnerable to climate change, offers a unique opportunity for innovation, with CResT aiming to turn climate resilience efforts into marketable solutions. The initiative includes early business involvement to ensure the practical deployment of these technologies, from disaster response systems to energy resilience solutions.
Damarillo noted that one of the challenges for most startups is establishing the right market or users of their innovations. CResT hopes to address that ensuring the sustainability of these solutions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies will be key in coordinating disaster response and recovery, while startups are encouraged to tackle local issues that can eventually be scaled globally.
The project’s long-term vision is to develop a self-sustaining ecosystem of climate tech startups that not only solve local problems but also position the Philippines as a leader in global climate innovation.