Singapore – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT) on 19 October 2022 to cooperate and collaborate in promoting innovation and digital transformation.
During the 2nd day of the 3-day Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC 2022 (ITAP 2022) at Singapore EXPO, DTI formalized the Philippine government’s partnership with Singapore’s INCIT in a signing ceremony to accelerate the country’s digital transformation by scaling up the adoption of Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) and other digital transformation initiatives. SIRI is a globally renowned digital transformation readiness assessment framework, which DTI has adopted since 2021. It comprises a suite of frameworks and tools to help manufacturers – regardless of size and industry – start, scale, and sustain their manufacturing transformation journeys.[1]
Through the partnership, DTI and INCIT will collaborate in areas supporting digital transformation, including but not limited to support to and expansion of SIRI training, examination, workshops, and awareness programs in the Philippines; capacity building of the Philippines in providing Official SIRI Assessments (OSA) from INCIT through local Certified SIRI Assessors (CSA); and support to the industry transformation roadmap of the Philippines through relevant data analytics and insights from the INCIT platform. The expansion of SIRI in manufacturing facilities across the Philippines will be supported financially by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
As DTI continues to implement its Science, Technology, and Innovation Industrial Strategy, it desires to collaborate with global development partners to grow and develop globally competitive and innovative industries and achieve sustainable, inclusive, and resilient industrial transformation. This partnership, which marks the first time an ASEAN country has partnered with INCIT to adopt the SIRI framework as a national index, will open more innovation opportunities that will increase not only the economic growth but also the readiness of the Philippines for Industry 4.0.
“Through science, technology, and innovation and the use of essential digital technologies, Philippine industries would be in a better position to face competition in both domestic and export markets and pave the way for industrial transformation. The utilization of SIRI will be critical in supporting firms and industries that are shifting to new technologies by providing deeper awareness and understanding of digital transformation and assistance to firms in assessing their technology readiness and formulation of their firm-level Industry 4.0 roadmaps,” DTI Competitiveness and Innovation Group Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said.
The MOU was signed by DTI Undersecretary Aldaba and INCIT Chief Financial Officer Ashikin Ahmad, witnessed by Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore Minister of State Low Yen Ling and representatives from the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
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