MANILA – The country should not be slowed down by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in rolling out its fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) plans, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
DTI-Competitiveness and Innovation Group Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba told the Philippine News Agency it is crucial for the country to continue implementing the Industry 4.0 plans to sustain and improve the country’s performance in Global Innovation Index (GII).
The Philippines ranks 50th, up by four notches, in World Intellectual Property Organization’s GII 2020.
Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña targets the Philippines to further improve the country’s GII ranking to 43rd spot by 2022.
“DTI’s Industry 4.0 plans aim to create more globally competitive and innovative industries as well as promote an inclusive, sustainable and resilient industrial development by embracing and adopting Industry 4.0 technologies,” Aldaba said.
She added the Industry 4.0 roadmap includes programs helping innovative startups and micro, small, and medium (MSMEs) to grow, improve ease of doing business, promote human resource development, strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, integrating production systems and deepening global value chain participation, and supporting the digital transformation of industries.
“All these would contribute to sustaining and improving our good performance in the GII particularly in strengthening GII pillars like market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs,” she said.
Innovation amid pandemic
Moreover, Aldaba said that with the global health crisis, innovation should also be at the forefront of the government’s development policy.
“One important lesson learned amid this pandemic is the importance of innovation and adoption of new technologies like AI (artificial intelligence), Internet of Things (IoT), e-commerce with greater focus on resilience and sustainability. These new technologies have played a crucial role in keeping societies functional during lockdown and quarantine periods,” she said.
She underscored that new technologies will be needed as the country restarts the economy and prepares for the new normal.
“We cannot afford to postpone these projects given the vital role of Industry 4.0 in helping us ensure the survival of more companies, shorten adaptation and recovery of businesses, and provide the platforms to develop new, more resilient products, processes, and new business models,” the senior trade official added.
PH as top digital riser
Meanwhile the Digital Riser Report 2020 of the Berlin-based European Center for Digital Competitiveness by ESCP Business School also named the Philippines as the top digital riser among East Asia and the Pacific nations.
The report, which is released every three years, gives score to a country in terms of its digital ecosystem and mindset towards digitalization.
“Since 2016, we have been implementing innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup initiatives in collaboration with other government agencies and industries,” Aldaba said.
Last year, the Congress passed the Innovative Start-up Act, which the Digital Riser report noted as the country’s ‘lighthouse initiative’ to the region in digitalization.
“Through this law, we are also improving the business regulatory environment to encourage the establishment and operation of innovative startups,” Aldaba said. “All these efforts and initiatives have been instrumental in making the Philippines as the top digital riser in East Asia and the Pacific.” (PNA)
