The University of the Philippines will launch its inaugural Inoblasyon Innovation Summit on May 5 at the SMX Convention Center Aura, convening leaders from industry, government, and academia in a bid to accelerate collaboration across the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Branded “Inoblasyon: The UP Innovation Summit 2026,” the two-day event is positioned as a platform to deepen partnerships among researchers, inventors, private-sector players, policymakers, investors, and community stakeholders.
Organizers say these alliances are key to strengthening the university’s role as a driver of innovation and national development.
“Inoblasyon”—a blend of “innovation” and “oblation”—reflects UP’s vision of innovation as a purpose-driven commitment to serve society, according to Joel Marciano Jr.
The summit aims to foster dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement while advancing emerging innovation clusters and promoting evidence-based, impact-driven initiatives.
The keynote address will be delivered by Anuj Jain of Nanyang Technological University, who leads national platforms that help scientists and researchers transform intellectual property into scalable businesses. With over two decades of experience across the Asia-Pacific, Jain’s work focuses on bridging the “lab-to-market” gap in deep-tech innovation.
Morning sessions will tackle energy resilience and the Philippines’ transition to low-carbon systems, alongside discussions on social entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation.
A closing panel will spotlight UP–industry collaborations, including semiconductor design initiatives and opportunities in talent development, research, and global supply chain integration.
Afternoon programming will center on knowledge exchange and showcase UP-developed technologies, startups, and research spanning eight priority clusters.
These include health and biomedical systems, agri-aqua biotechnology, functional foods and nutraceuticals, climate and environmental technologies, sustainable materials and green manufacturing, creative industries, digital governance, and legal and education technologies.
