MMSU’s S&T Park brings more jobs for Ilocanos

MMSU's S&T Park (file photo)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Batac City—Hunting for a job or a high quality product ready to be commercialized in the world market? Then, you might want to visit the Science and Technology (S&T) Park of the government-owned Mariano Marcos State University.

The S&T Park is MMSU’s newest facility that houses state-of-the-art food processing equipment and innovative products of Ilocanos.

Since its soft launching on January 6, the first S&T Park in northern Philippines has been attracting small and medium entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers and other stakeholders to have a glance at the latest innovation showcase of the university.

MMSU President Miriam E. Pascua said the university through its S&T Park does not only offer technical assistance but also assist in product enhancement and marketing of products ready for commercialization.

“We are currently looking for adaptors who are willing to commercialize their products and if they would want to avail of capital assistance, we also have a soft loan program available for them,” Ms. Pascua said citing the project was conceptualized in collaboration with various government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry and the National Economic Development Authority among others.

With these product innovations, Ms. Pascua hopes that more jobs will be created to graduates and those who will take advantage of the technologies the university offers to its stakeholders.

Located along the national highway of Batac-Paoay road, the S&T Park caters to the growing demand for MMSU technologies ready for commercialization. It also serves as venue to transfer basic and applied technologies developed by the university to those who may want to engage into food processing as a business venture.

Since the park serves as venue for development learning experiences for young entrepreneurs, it is expected to help spur socio-economic development as it showcases the technologies being developed by the university and those of private entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of these technologies.