(APR. 26) — UPSCALE (UP Sustaining Collaboration in an Advanced Learning Environment) Innovation Hub emerged as the grand champion in the first PH Startup Incubator Awards held on Apr. 23 via Zoom and streamed live on YouTube.

UPSCALE earned the highest overall score among the 11 Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in the final assessment and excelled throughout the program based on growth, innovation and impact. The team also won the “Best Incubator for Governance & Operations” Award for its outstanding progress in developing and implementing its organizational structure, operational system and organization-wide processes to function efficiently and amplify their impact on the startup ecosystem.

UPSCALE began in 2018 to accelerate the launch of innovative technologies through industry-academe collaborations and startups.  The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development supports and is a partner of UPSCALE.

UPSCALE supports spinoff companies from innovations the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) generated.  The ERDT (http://erdt.coe.upd.edu.ph/about-erdt.html) is a consortium of eight Philippine universities with graduate programs in various engineering fields.

To date, UPSCALE helped launch nine spinoff companies.  Six additional spinoff companies are now in the pipeline, on top of the other ventures that were launched through UPSCALE’s help.

Presented and organized by DOST and QBO Philippines, the PH Startup Incubator Awards recognizes the work of outstanding TBIs and honor the people behind the success of the TBI 4.0 Programs, a program that aims to upgrade the capabilities of DOST’s technology business incubation network to set off their “internationalization.”

The PH Incubator Award is also part of the 2021 Philippine Research, Development and Innovation Conference, the country’s first massive public presentation of completed R&D projects in the industry, energy, and emerging technology sector. The event served as a “graduation ceremony” for the TBIs.