DAVAO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), in coordination with the global group Startup Genome and DTI 11, recently presented the Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2018 in a bid to scale up technology-enabled business startups in the region.
DTI-11 Director Maria Belenda Ambi on Tuesday said GSER showcased the ecosystem performance and success factors through global connectedness or global networking by over 30 countries around the world.
Ambi said GSER identified sector gaps and strengths such as those found in financial technology, enterprise solutions, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
This year, through DTI-11 in partnership with DTI-EMB, Davao City aims to participate in the undertaking–considered as the new science of startup ecosystem assessment for the GSER 2019.
Now on the third leg of its series of focus group discussion (FGD) sessions in Davao City, after Manila and Cebu, representatives from national government agencies (NGAs), academe, incubators, accelerators, and ICT startups discussed the challenges and strengths in the information and communications technology (ICT)-related business sector.
Ambi noted that access to finance, talents, national and global market, connectivity and infrastructure, and connectedness among ICT startups are key challenges that need to be addressed for them to level up.
With the challenges in ICT startups, Ambi os optimistic that Davao City has the following strengths that increased the opportunities for the said sector: good communication and interpersonal skills; presence of quality universities producing ICT talents; availability of workforce; ease of doing business; and a decent peace and order situation.
Ambi said Davao City aims to drive economic growth and forge new opportunities for tech startups and aspiring entrepreneurs by insights gathered through benchmarking and global exposure in the GSER 2019.
This will be aided, she said, by Startup Genome whose mission is to empower metropolis in capitalizing on fast-moving trends.
“The Philippines’ economic growth rate is over six percent and is considered as one of the highest growth rates around the world. Rest assured that the agency will continue to provide initiatives and programs that will scale up our startups and compete with foreign players,” Ambi said. (Jenny Mendoza/PNA)
