Innovators from across the Philippines gathered at the University of Santo Tomas for the first-ever UNLEASH Regional Innovation Lab in the country.
Manila, Philippines – In September 2025, UNLEASH held its first-ever Regional Innovation Lab in the Philippines, gathering 150 innovators from across the country to design solutions to pressing challenges in health, food, and infrastructure. The program formed part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Launchpad, connecting Filipino talents to a global ecosystem of innovation.
Over the course of a week, participants applied the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology — a structured, design-thinking approach used in previous Innovation Labs in Denmark, Singapore, China, India, Greenland, Rwanda, and Brazil. Working in teams, they advanced from problem framing to ideating, prototyping, and pitching, supported by 14 trained facilitators from eight nationalities.
Excellence from all over the nation
The participants reflected the Philippines’ diversity both in geography and background. Talents came from all 17 regions, including metropolitan centers, rural towns, and remote islands. This breadth of representation ensured that solutions addressed local realities while aligning with national and global priorities.
“Technology on its own isn’t enough to solve big problems,” said Jackie Stenson, Managing Director of UNLEASH. “You have to understand and serve the whole system: the people, the communities, and the structures around it. That’s what we encourage at UNLEASH, to create solutions that address the whole system and therefore can reach users and create real world impact.”
Participants applied the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology, moving from problem framing to prototyping in just one week.
From local ideas to global solutions
Teams focused on three thematic tracks: Health Equity & Biomedical Innovation, Resilient Agriculture & Food Systems, and Sustainable Cities & Communities through Engineering Innovation. These tracks were designed to align with the Philippines’ development challenges while linking to the broader UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The week produced 34 early-stage solutions, with the participants set to move on to the prototyping stage where they can further refine their proposed solutions.
Teams presented their ideas on health, food systems, and sustainable cities, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Creating greater impact
Beyond individual projects, UNLEASH Philippines fostered a community of leaders who now form part of the wider UNLEASH network. Engineers, scientists, creatives, and health professionals collaborated across disciplines, building networks that will sustain their work long after the Innovation Lab.
Supported by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) through its TOMASInno Center Technology Business Incubator, the program showed how UNLEASH creates spaces that level the playing field. It brought together people from all walks of life from students, researchers, seasoned professionals, community representatives, and more, and gave them equal access to the skills, mindset, and networks needed to build scalable solutions.
UNLEASH Philippines demonstrated that Filipinos are equipped not only with ideas, but with the passion to test, iterate, and refine them to be real-world solutions. With structured support and access to global mentorship, these innovators are poised to contribute solutions that can serve both local communities and the wider world.
