Schools, non-profit group partner to promote energy entrepreneurship

MANILA, Philippines — Global non-profit organization New Energy Nexus (NEN) is backing Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) to promote energy entrepreneurship and bring energy innovations to the market.

For this endeavor, NEN – an international organization that supports clean energy entrepreneurs through funds, networks and accelerator programs – has teamed up nine Philippine universities to “ensure that we are able to build a strong pipeline of competent energy innovators and professionals,” NEN country manager Brenda Valerio said.

So far, it has partnered with the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), Xavier University, Ateneo de Naga University, Bataan Peninsula State University, Adamson University, Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas, National University, University of Southeastern Philippines, and St. Louis University.

The academic partnership consists of different online mentoring and capacity building programs for students, faculty and researchers.

It aims to capacitate the academe with the knowledge and skills to fill in the gaps in the energy sector, support in understanding the market, and bridging the gap between energy innovations to commercialization.

“Academic institutions and incubators are critical in the community (for the ecosystem building and enablement),” Valerio said.

This as NEN strongly values the key role that other stakeholders play for the just transition to clean energy, especially the academe.