DOST, CHED Advance PHITEST to Accelerate Commercialization of Filipino Technologies and Strengthen Global Competitiveness
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are advancing the Philippine Technology Evaluation and Standards for Testing (PHITEST), a national initiative designed to accelerate the commercialization of Filipino technologies and strengthen integration into global value chains. As DOST poses STI for economic development, it strengthens its framework in making innovations commercially ready.
From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2026-05-10. Captured 2026-09-04. Read the original DOST source.
This record preserves information as published on the source website. It does not confirm that a historical opportunity, deadline, service requirement, contact, or planned project is current. Check with the responsible DOST office before acting.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are advancing the Philippine Technology Evaluation and Standards for Testing (PHITEST), a national initiative designed to accelerate the commercialization of Filipino technologies and strengthen integration into global value chains. As DOST poses STI for economic development, it strengthens its framework in making innovations commercially ready.
“Innovation only matters when it becomes part of the economy,” said DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. “PHITEST builds the systems that allow Filipino technologies to enter markets, create jobs, and strengthen industries.”
He added, “Countries that lead in innovation are those that build the infrastructure of commercialization. This is how we strengthen our position in global supply chains.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. also emphasized during the 2026 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE), to transform Filipino inventions into scalable enterprises that drive productivity growth, expand exports, and strengthen participation in high-value industries, including semiconductors, electronics, agriculture, health technologies, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence-enabled systems.
It is in these matters that SUCs and HEIs are enjoined to further solidify the innovation ecosystem in the country. CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis said that universities are being repositioned as drivers of economic transformation.
“We are shifting higher education from knowledge production to economic capability, where research becomes industries, productivity growth, and global competitiveness,” she said.
“Our universities are being aligned with commercialization systems so graduates do not only participate in high-value industries, they help lead and expand them.”
The PHITEST was primarily created to addresses a structural gap in the Philippine innovation system: the absence of a unified national framework for testing, validation, certification, and standards development needed for technologies to reach industrial scale and global markets. It represents a decisive shift toward export-led innovation industrialization.
By strengthening these systems, PHITEST shifts innovation from isolated research outputs to measurable economic outcomes—higher productivity, stronger export performance, and expanded high-value employment.
PHITEST is expected to deliver higher productivity across key sectors, increased export revenues from Filipino technologies, growth in high-value technical employment, and a strengthened national standards and testing infrastructure
“This initiative ensures Filipino innovation moves beyond invention into industrial adoption and economic impact,” the agencies said.
The PHITEST focuses on six priority areas for global competitiveness and domestic transformation: Semiconductors and Electronics to advance testing and integration into global supply chains; Agriculture and Aquaculture to improve productivity through climate- resilient and precision systems; Health and Biomedical Technologies to expand diagnostics and health innovation markets; Energy and Green Technologies to accelerate renewable and climate-aligned solutions; Transportation and Mobility Systems to improve improving logistics and smart infrastructure; and Digital and Emerging Technologies to advance AI, data systems, and next-generation platforms. Among these priorities, the initial rollout shall mainly look into Semiconductors and Electronics; Biopharma and Health Technologies; and Agriculture and Aquaculture to address the timely needs of the communities.
For every Juan and Juana, MSMEs, and start-up enterprises, PHITEST means secured opportunity made real, where Filipino innovation creates jobs, strengthens livelihoods, and ensures progress is felt in everyday life, not only in laboratories and boardrooms.
Over the medium term, PHITEST is expected to accelerate productivity convergence with leading ASEAN economies and drive industrial upgrading across key sectors by strengthening innovation-to-industry pathways and expanding export-led value creation.
Ultimately, PHITEST is envisioned to position the Philippines within the upper tiers of global innovation-driven economies, where research intensity translates into industrial competitiveness, export performance, and sustained economic transformation.
About PHITEST
PHITEST is a national innovation infrastructure initiative that strengthens technology validation, standards development, and commercialization systems, enabling Filipino innovations to achieve industrial scale, meet global benchmarks, and generate sustained economic impact through productivity growth, export expansion, and job creation.
For inquiries, please contact:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Transfer, Communications, and Commercialization Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Contact: njuanillojr@dost.gov.ph or oasecnkj@dost.gov.ph