The Center for Innovation in Engineering’s Education (CIEE) at BatStateU Alangilan, in collaboration with the Research Office and Sustainable Development Office, orchestrated the ASCENT event. A one-day event, aimed to serve a comprehensive platform for showcasing ideas, studies, and initiatives in engineering and related fields, with a particular focus on sustainable development.

The inaugural ASCENT on June 6, 2023, commenced with an opening address by university president Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo. This was succeeded by a thought-provoking lecture titled “Future Proofing Research and Development Framework: Bridging Society and Economy through Innovation” delivered by Dr. Rose Marie O. Mendoza, Chief Industrial Design Specialist at the Design Center of the Philippines.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ASCENT organized its thematic areas into three groups: People (P1), Planet (P2), and Prosperity (P3). The conference sessions were strategically divided based on the percentage of targeted SDGs in the submitted papers, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the 2030 Agenda’s five crucial dimensions.

The ASCENT Plenary Talk focused on using innovation as a means of bridging economic divides. In order to organize research projects, Dr. Mendoza emphasized the significance of the creative life cycle, directional R&D, and core design. She also exhorted the participants to CREATE, PROTECT, COMMERCIALIZE, AND INDUSTRIALIZE today, citing recent global events and market pressures as reasons for the necessity of transforming conventional R&D labs into the digital labs of the future.

Post- plenary, committees efficiently guided students to their respective locations corresponding to the thematic sessions (P1, P2, P3). Thirty-six groups of participants in total, comprising diverse disciplines, actively participated. These included three groups of architecture, fine arts, and design students; six groups of informatics and computing sciences students from Alangilan, Mabini, and Balayan Campuses; six groups of industrial technology students from Alangilan and Balayan Campuses; and eighteen groups of engineering students from BatStateU Alangilan Campus.