Written by MSUN ATBI
On September 20, 2025 , MSUN Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubator (ATBI) proudly partnered with the Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) to co-host the event “From Research to Community Impact: Journey to Commercialization, Start-up, and Communication Application.” Held at the MSU-IIT PRISM Building, the event gathered over 50 researchers, representatives, and faculty members from across the entire MSU System. MSU ATBI project staff and collaborators took part in the event, represented by Ms. Gaily Jubie Hontiveros, Brigida Alas, Djannez Dadole, and Mechie-Clar Florida.
The activity began with words of welcome from Dr. Jan Michelle Maratas, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, setting a positive tone for a day filled with knowledge sharing and practical learning. Dr. Surya Raghu, the featured speaker, led the workshop titled "Research to Community Impact," emphasizing how universities can drive meaningful social, economic, and technological innovation.
The event included a series of sessions, each offering insights, hands-on activities, and discussions, ensuring that participants left with a deeper understanding of how to create meaningful impact from research. Dr. Raghu acknowledged the role of universities in fostering innovation and introduced the concept of citizen science to reinforce the importance of community involvement in research. Participants collectively identified challenges in their respective communities, narrowing their focus to three priorities, which enhanced their understanding of real-world issues.
Dr. Raghu then guided participants through hands-on sessions on design thinking and market validation, effectively bridging theory with practical application. He discussed how to build sustainable business models that integrate profitability with community empowerment and taught effective pitching techniques and methods for measuring project impact.
In the final session, participants presented their solutions, demonstrating how academic research can lead to actionable community-focused outcomes, while Dr. Raghu provided constructive feedback to refine their concepts. Dr. Giovanni J. Paylaga, Chairperson of the Physics Department at MSU-IIT, concluded the event by commending the participants’ engagement and emphasizing the potential for these research-driven initiatives to achieve meaningful community impact.
The activity was a resounding success. Participants walked away not only with valuable insights but also a renewed sense of purpose, ready to transform their ideas into meaningful action.
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