UNLEASH held its first-ever Regional Innovation Lab in the Philippines in September 2025, involving 150 innovators from across the country to design solutions to health, food, and infrastructure challenges. The program, part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Launchpad, connected Filipino talents to a global innovation ecosystem. Participants applied the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology, a structured approach used in previous Innovation Labs, and worked in teams, advancing from problem framing to ideating, prototyping, and pitching.
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.”
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 yielded 34 early-stage solutions, with participants set to proceed to the prototyping stage, where they can further refine their proposed solutions.
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 diverse backgrounds, including students, researchers, seasoned professionals, community representatives, and others. It provided them with equal access to the skills, mindset, and networks necessary to build scalable solutions.
UNLEASH Philippines demonstrated that Filipinos are equipped not only with ideas but also with the passion to test, iterate, and refine them into real-world solutions. With structured support and access to global mentorship, these innovators are well-positioned to contribute solutions that can benefit both local communities and the broader world.
