De La Salle University welcomed partners from industry, government, and academe, as well as civic leaders and students, during the DLSU KIST Park Open House and Networking Event on its Laguna Campus last May 7. 

In his welcome remarks, DLSU President Br. Bernard Oca FSC said, “The DLSU KIST Park stands as a living testament to our vision of true innovation that does not remain within the confines of research, but actively engages with industry, government, and society. It is a space where ideas are not only imagined but realized, where research is transformed into solutions, and where partnerships become engines of progress.”

The event featured the formal signing of agreements with two key industry players, namely AstraZeneca and D.M. Consunji Technical Training Center, Inc. (DMCTTCI), which will establish their respective hubs within the KIST Park.

AstraZeneca will establish the AZ-Health Innovation Hub, which will serve as a research hub, clinical trial center, education and training space, and will be the site of their Lung Cancer command center. 

The pharmaceutical giant’s first campus-based center underscores its capacity-building thrust, not only for faculty and students but also for researchers and doctors. It will also serve as a resource for policy-making and for building start-up projects. 

DLSU’s partnership with DMCTTCI highlights the development of a hub that will serve as the country’s leading center for construction education. Seeking to address the gaps between theories and application, the facility will serve as a commercial testing center, academic training and research hub.

DMCTTCI likewise emphasizes the importance of co-creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship with the University as it expresses its vision of building partnerships that endure and create impactful work.   

Officials from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry also attended the event.

The DLSU KIST Park is the first Philippine private higher education institution to receive this recognition, following a proclamation by Malacanan Palace last July 30, 2025. Covering five hectares of the 51-hectare Laguna Campus, KIST Ecozone integrates academia, industry, government, and community in driving interdisciplinary research, innovation, and commercialization of green technologies, eco-friendly solutions and sustainable practices.