DTI-Competitiveness & Innovation Group

CALIFORNIA, USA—Following the Signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Plug and Play in November 2023, the Philippine delegation to the 2024 Consumer Electronics show met with Plug and Play co-founder Jojo Flores on 16 January 2024 at their Silicon Valley headquarters. The meeting deep dived on the use-cases of the partnership based on the Plug and Play’s growth model for supporting and scaling tech startups.

During the discussion, Plug and Play introduced its Horizon Philippines program which aims to champion a national startup strategy, foster entrepreneurship, boost economic growth, and position the country as a regional technology and innovation hub—leading towards an IP-based economy.

As a use-case, the Philippines has a robust electronics manufacturing sector (OEM) and the partnership with Plug and Play is envisioned to develop an ecosystem with OEMs, System integrators (Tier 1), Chip designers: IDM & Fabless (Tier 2), Foundries (Tier 3), and Equipment & Packaging. Such an ecosystem will be a platform for fostering the development of new products and services that will be key to future-proofing and revolutionizing our industries