The metals and engineering industry has contributed much to the country’s recovery efforts, an official of the Department of Science and Technology.
“We can never disregard the contribution of the industry. We owe it to the metals industry to celebrate milestones and special accomplishments for without you, upstream industries will weaken,” said DOST Usec. Rowena Guevara during the 1st National Metals and Engineering Conference held recently.
The metals industry has played a huge role in helping the country rise from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.
Guevara cited as an example the mass production and distribution of face shields for frontliners at the onset of the pandemic.
The Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) did this through the plastic injection molding technology.
Another contribution was the use of the Hybrid Electric Road Train (HERT) to ferry frontliners to and from work in Cauayan, Isabela, for free.
Last year, the DOST launched the Advanced Manufacturing Center and the Advanced Mechatronics, Robotics, and Industrial Automation Laboratory that both feature industry 4.0 technologies.
The agency, according to Guevara, has been providing an enabling environment to let researchers access modern technologies and unleash their innovative ideas.
Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, Emerging Technology Research and Development Executive Director Enrico Paringit said the industry must also consider harnessing emerging technologies to make the industry more competitive.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are among the emerging technologies, aside from additive manufacturing, sensors, quantum computing, virtual reality, etc.
The DOST targets to broaden the curriculum on AI and conduct training programs to upskill the workforce on AI, he said. – PNA
