The Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubation (ATBI) Program gears to support more incubatees after registering a total of 263 businesses supported so far. Of these businesses, a total of 1,603 jobs were generated and a total of P68.7 million revenue was generated by the incubatees’ startup companies. Meanwhile, the ATBIs generated P11.7 million in revenue.
The ATBI Program is one of the big-ticket programs of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). It was launched in 2017 under the DOST-PCAARRD Innovation and Technology Center (DPITC).
According to the DOST-PCAARRD ATBI Scoreboard, 16 ATBIs were established and strengthened in 10 regions in the country. In these ATBIs, 92 technologies were incubated.
Moving forward, the ATBI program is gearing to supporting more incubatees by launching its informational campaign with the theme, “Tech it to the Next Level.” The campaign aims to promote technology business incubation as a relevant approach in generating jobs, capacitating agri-preneurs, and initiating strategic partnerships.
According to Noel A. Catibog, Director of the Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD) of DOST-PCAARRD, the campaign aims to achieve four goals: to accelerate agribusiness practices; trade innovations amidst uncertainties; synergize business and technology; and achieve inclusive economic growth.
Anchored in accelerating agribusiness practices, ATBIs provide training and mentorship on technology management, agri-business development, marketing, networking, administrative support, and access to facilities and equipment.
Meanwhile, to trade innovations amidst uncertainties, innovative strategies are implemented to curb the uncertainties in the agricultural trading system under the new normal. According to Catibog, the ATBI ecosystem works together to keep agri-markets open with trade flowing smoothly through an efficient value chain.
In order to synergize business and technology, ATBIs continue to assess the business idea and match it with technologies that will fit the business model of the agri-business enterprise that an incubatee may want to establish or enhance. The technologies ATBI support are products of research, backed up by science and intended to address the agricultural needs of the nation to create the business and technology synergy.
Finally, Catibog said that to achieve inclusive economic growth, ATBI hopes to create more agri-business opportunities and fairly distribute economic growth across society. Moreover, it will continue to promote public-private partnerships for inclusive economic growth.
For more information about the ATBI program, please visit http://atbi.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph.