The #SchoolofInnovation FEU Institute of Technology, through its venture builder/incubator FEU Tech Innovation Center (FTIC), is proud to announce its partnership with Accenture Philippines in building a stronger innovation ecosystem in the country. For its initiatives on emerging technologies that include Cloud, 5G, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), and Sustainable Technologies, FEU Tech and FTIC were chosen to receive an innovation grant from Accenture’s “Accelerating Innovation through Collaboration in the Philippines” program. The 80M funding program aims to establish collaborative partnerships with academic institutions to help create an innovative culture and mindset in the academe.
FTIC Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Rolan Marco Garcia said this grant will essentially increase FEU Tech’s strength in A.I. research. “There are already existing researches and startups working on A.I. and sustainable tech, but we are also building new programs for engineering for impact and startups.”
To date, FTIC has launched four dynamic programs designed to inspire, train, and educate student entrepreneurs-Startup Academy, the Innovation Breakfast Club, TECHX, and UNMASKED.
The FTIC Innovation Breakfast Club meanwhile aims to support aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to seek advice from the coaches and mentors of FTIC. While 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐗 is a monthly event of the FTIC aimed to create awareness and educate the community about global emerging trends and current advancements in technology, UNMASKED gives a sneak peek into the lives of successful entrepreneurs and startups so that they may inspire students to break the mold and create their own startups.
With the Startup Academy, students will learn the relevant business and technical concepts needed to start and work on their innovative business solutions using the lean startup framework. The program is designed to develop the entrepreneurial mindset and attitude of the students. By providing hands-on training, coaching, and mentorship, the program is dedicated to supporting budding student entrepreneurs and enabling successful corporate innovators.
During the Grant Turnover Ceremony and Press Briefing hosted by Accenture last Tuesday, their Innovation Lead Arvin Yason emphasized one of the program’s objectives to expand the innovation and technology ecosystem through the academe/incubator network. Thus, they have chosen institutions like FEU Tech who have their own incubator in FTIC, and are looking forward to collaborating on industry solutions with a focus on A.I. as well as 5G and Industry X (Internet of Things).
Also present during the formal Grant Turnover Ceremony were FEU Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Atty. Gianna R. Montinola, FEU Tech Senior Director for Administration Jarvis C. Muyargas, FEU Tech Senior Director for Computer Studies & Multimedia Arts Rossana T. Adao, and FEU Tech Senior Director for Engineering Dr. Romano Q. Neyra.
In his video statement, FEU Tech’s Senior Executive Director, Dr. Benson T. Tan, expressed his elation and excitement to partner with Accenture. “One of our goals with Accenture is incubating and supporting the formation of startups that will drive innovation using new technologies. Our students and faculty have brilliant ideas. They were able to build projects that not only gained accolades but also helped make the lives of the Filipinos better. They already had significant achievements in emerging technologies like A.I., interactive applications, and other engineering innovations.
Now, with the support and expertise of Accenture, they will have the freedom to do more. Research more, experiment more, learn more.”
Dr. Tan adds, “FEU Tech has always stood for innovation. Our tagline even affirms that-Technology Driven By Innovation. Year after year, we have made significant efforts to integrate technology and innovation into the curriculum and encourage an innovation culture in the community.”
Last school year at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they introduced MILES or Mastery-based Individualized Learning Enhancement System across FEU Alabang, FEU Diliman, and FEU Tech. An innovative strategy in education, MILES emphasizes the need for students to achieve a level of mastery in topics before moving on to the next subject topics. This helps build a solid foundation for present and future learning.
They also opened a Virtual Campus via the LMS Canvas where students can access the virtual Academic and Administrative Offices of their chosen campus through the BigBlueButton conference feature. All the services they need are made available to them online in the safety of their own homes.
This coming school year, FEU Tech focuses on introducing coding to the curriculum of Basic Education and Senior High students in FEU Diliman and FEU Alabang. Dubbed as CLICK (Coding, Creativity and Critical Thinking, Logic, Innovation, Character building, and Knowledge-based learning) the program will integrate coding basics including robotics and data analytics into the curriculum beginning in Kinder.