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Stakeholders and prospective locators of the UP Mindanao Knowledge, Innovation, Science, and Technology (KIST) Park identified shared priorities during a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) held on June 11, 2025, at the UP Mindanao campus. The session, facilitated by master planners Palafox Associates, highlighted the key facility requirements such as exhibit spaces, conference rooms, laboratories, pilot plants, office spaces, commercial areas, accommodations, and waste disposal facilities. Participants also underscored the need for a reliable internet connection and an aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly environment.
The UP Mindanao KIST Park, set to rise on a 12-hectare site within the university, will receive initial funding from the UP System, with potential support from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Asian Development Bank.
The FGD gathered insights from a mix of private and public sector representatives, including food and materials manufacturers from the coconut and dairy industries, which are among the major industries in Mindanao. UP Mindanao participants included representatives from the Department of Food Science and Chemistry, the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, the Philippine Genome Center Mindanao, and the Technology Transfer and Business Development Office. Also in attendance were representatives from the National Dairy Authority and the Department of Agriculture–Davao Region Central Experiment Station.
Following the discussion, Palafox Associates will provide participants with the official FGD report and proceed with the next phase of the development of the KIST Park master plan.
