The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched the first Fabrication Laboratory (Fablab) co-working space in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
“Micro, small, and medium enterprises [MSMEs] will sustain our robust Philippine economy. What we need to do is to support them to be more competitive and innovative,” Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. said.
According to Cristobal, the DTI is set to open seven Fablabs in 2016, five of which will be launched in the first half of the year.
At the Ilocos Fablab, there are 70 high-tech machines with different functions. These include laser-cutting machines, a 3-D printer, a benchtop milling machine, and embroidery machines. The Fablab can help MSMEs make prototypes, create scale models, and print in 3-D.
“With the Fablab, MSMEs are given the opportunity to avail themselves of new prototyping technologies and software in designing and manufacturing products to match the market competition,” Cristobal said.
The Ilocos Fablab is the first in Luzon to offer advanced technology assistance to local MSMEs. It is housed at the Philippine Science High School(PSHS)-Ilocos Region campus, providing students access to this high-end laboratory and to help in the research and development requirements of local MSMEs.
The Ilocos Fablab is a project of the DTI in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The DTI launched the country’s first Fablab shared-service facility (SSF) in Bohol in 2014. This Fablab, at the Bohol Island State University, has helped entrepreneurs on the island to produce travel retail products in short runs, “printed” prototype furniture, and even a house as part of the post-earthquake recovery program of the province. The Bohol Fablab is funded by the DTI, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Bohol Island State University (BISU), and the DOST.
Fablabs began at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to help grassroots communities translate their design ideas into actual products with the help of technology and 24/7 support of a worldwide network of Fablabs. The Fablab, in varying forms, is present in about 200 locations in over 50 countries.