SM Prime, DOST unite for SUSTEX 2025, urge businesses to embrace innovation for sustainability

From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2025-08-29. 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.

Staged text edition: Source images are not included because image recovery was blocked. The captured article text is preserved; illustrations remain pending recovery.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and SM Prime Holdings open today the inaugural Sustainability Expo (SUSTEX) 2025: Innovation Towards Environmental Stewardship with a joint call for the private sector to embrace innovation for sustainability, resilience, and growth.

For two days, the SUSTEX 2025 will serve as a powerful platform for cross-sector dialogue, policy alignment, and collaborative action, bringing together SM tenant-partners; micro, small, and medium enterprises; multinational enterprises; innovation champions; and key government organizations.

A shared purpose for sustainability

In his welcome message, SM Prime Holdings Chair of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy highlighted the significance of the event coinciding with SM Supermalls’ 40th anniversary, a milestone that challenges the company to look beyond growth and measure success not only by what is built, but by what is sustained and preserved.

“For us, sustainability is not just part of the strategy—it is the strategy,” Sy stressed. “The Sustainability Expo brings this strategy to life by forging partnerships, driving innovation, and scaling real solutions.”

Sy also expressed immense pride in SM’s active collaboration with the DOST in adopting science-based solutions, such as the Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS), to improve waste management across SM malls. SM Investments Corporation has also entered an MOU with DOST to advance research on sustainable plastic materials and enhanced waste management strategies.

“Public-private partnerships like this demonstrate how science and business can unite to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time,” Sy emphasized, encouraging more of the private sector to support projects led by local scientists.

‘My call is simple: enough talk’

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. echoed this call, saying that innovation is not simply about creating the next breakthrough or launching the next product—”it is about ensuring that the growth we pursue today does not come at the cost of tomorrow.”

Citing the Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index 2025 where Philippines is one of the top 10 most affected countries in the world from 1993-2022 and the data from the World Bank group that says 565 disasters have cost the country $23 billion and claimed 70,000 lives, he highlighted the Philippines’ vulnerability exposing businesses to dual risks: direct physical damage and the challenge of keeping up with evolving global sustainability standards.

“The data underscores a clear imperative: embedding sustainability alongside financial performance is essential for long-term competitiveness and value creation,” he said.

With this, the Secretary stressed that businesses must move beyond symbolic gestures toward measurable, tangible sustainability goals, assuring that opportunities are available for the private sector.

“My call is simple: enough talk. We’ve had summits, forums, and declarations that fill up shelves and inboxes. What we need now is proof,” he said, adding that partnerships and innovation among the industry, government, academe, and communities are needed.

‘Sustainability is good business’

For his part, SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan also encouraged businesses to pursue innovation, noting that “sustainability is good business.”

He recalled that years ago, SM was the first company in the Philippines to install electric vehicle charging stations in its malls nationwide, proving skeptics that the investment was worth it.

“It’s mind setting. Somebody has to push the envelope, somebody has to start it, and it is not just a role but the responsibility of the companies to pursue sustainability for the benefit of our environment,” he said.

DOST and SM’s joint call to action

The expo, jointly organized by SM Prime and DOST, aims to be more than a one-time event.

“May this Expo be more than an event—may it serve as a catalyst for collaboration, a hub for practical solutions, and a reminder that business can be a force for good when guided by purpose, discipline, and partnership,” said Sy.

Further, the DOST Secretary closed with a challenge: “We can turn sustainability into opportunity, and opportunity into prosperity—shared, not hoarded. That’s the point. That’s the call.”

Representatives from various government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Energy, as well as international dignitaries from the European Union and the Kingdom of Denmark, were also present to declare their support for the initiative.

SUSTEX, or the Sustainability Expo, is a collaborative platform spearheaded by SM Prime, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and ARISE Philippines to advance science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions for a greener, more resilient future. Anchored on DOST’s four strategic pillars (human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability), SUSTEX brings together industries, innovators, and government leaders to accelerate the shift toward circular economy, low-carbon development, and climate resilience.

Admission to the SUSTEX 2025 at the SMX Convention Center Aura, Taguig City is free and open to the public until 30 August 2025. Register through SM Malls Online: https://click.smmallsonline.com/DFqS/SMSUSTEX2025 (By Rosemarie C. Señora, DOST-STII)

#SUSTEX2025 #EmpoweringCommunities #SolutionsOpportunitiesforAll