Advancing Innovation Amid Adversity: The First National IMPACT Conference Held in Bacolod

Despite the disruptions caused by Typhoon Tino, the inaugural “SalikSYNC: 1st National IMPACT Conference” successfully brought together nearly all members of the IMPACT network in Bacolod City on November 5–6, 2025. Representatives from private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and Research & Development Institutions (RDIs) gathered to reaffirm a shared commitment to strengthening the country’s innovation and technology transfer ecosystem. The strong turnout (despite travel delays, power interruptions, and logistical constraints) highlighted the resilience of the community and its determination to push forward the national research-to-impact agenda.

The conference underscored a growing nationwide momentum toward transforming research into practical, scalable solutions. In his keynote message, DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. captured the essence of this mission with a compelling question: “What good is a breakthrough if it never breaks through?” This call to action guided the event’s panel discussions, capability-building sessions, and institutional presentations. Participants shared success stories and challenges in IP protection, technology licensing, and startup incubation, revealing both the progress already made and the work still needed to harmonize innovation efforts across academe, government, and industry.

One of the conference’s key milestones was the ceremonial signing of a multi-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the 34 participating IMPACT institutions, represented by their presidents, chancellors, and directors. This MOU formalizes their shared commitment to sustain and strengthen the gains of the IMPACT and IMPACT-NXT programs, particularly in building robust technology transfer capabilities and fostering a more collaborative national innovation ecosystem. It also reaffirmed the long-term partnership between PCIEERD and the institutions, underscoring their collective resolve to translate research into meaningful societal and economic impact. Overall, the signing marked a significant step toward a more coordinated innovation landscape that supports researchers, empowers institutions, and accelerates the transformation of scientific outputs into real-world solutions.

The First National IMPACT Conference set the tone for what promises to be a transformative cycle of implementation under IMPACT-NXT. Insights and commitments forged in Bacolod are already shaping the upcoming competency framework, capacity-building programs, and institutional assessments. Against the backdrop of Typhoon Tino, the collective determination displayed by participating institutions revealed a simple but powerful reality: the Philippine innovation ecosystem is ready not only to recover, but to lead—turning research into solutions that uplift communities and drive national progress.