By PR | 09:15 PM October 03, 2023
Boholano students recently convened for the highly anticipated 2023 Bohol Idea to Innovation (i2i) Challenge where they presented their innovative product development concepts and marketing.
The event took place at the Panda Tea Garden Suites on Oct. 2-3, a collaborative effort between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–Bohol and the Bohol Island State University (BISU) Balik sa Bohol Technology Business Incubator (TBI).
With the theme “Creating Solutions, Crafting Products,” the initiative is supported by the Bohol Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab), the Department of Information and Communication Technology, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh).
The event aims to foster collaboration among local makers, Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), students, innovators, and enthusiasts to create marketable products that celebrate and promote Bohol’s diverse culture, arts, design, food, agriculture, and tourism sectors.
Prior to pitching their ideas, participants had the opportunity to receive guidance from mentors during the ideation process on the first day, allowing them to refine their market-ready concepts and establish connections with industry experts.
On the second day, more than 25 teams showcased their innovative ideas on the pitching stage, in which five projects will be selected to proceed in the prototyping stage.
Supported by BISU-TBI, during this phase, teams will benefit from mentoring, workshops, materials, and access to Bohol FabLab machines, expected to conclude within two months.
The final presentation stage will be in December this year, with MSMEs, potential users, investors, project partners, and the provincial government to attract support and grants for developing these innovations.
DTI Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist Jerome John Gabin stressed the event’s end-to-end approach to support startups and innovators. He also noted the need to maximize the utilization of the FabLab and inspire local innovation to focus on developing product-based solutions addressing challenges in the said sectors.
In an exciting milestone, the FabLab is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, marking a decade of pioneering innovation in the country.
PGBh’s Provincial Youth and Development Office, under the leadership of Gov. Aris Aumentado, supported the recent success of the FabLab and BISU’s Team Fordago which emerged as the grand champion in CHRONICS 2023 competition held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
It underscored the immense potential and talent among Bohol’s young innovators nurturing and showcasing their groundbreaking ideas as envisioned in the Strategic Change Agenda. (PIMO/JSS)
