Public lab opens doors to Pinoy innovators and inventors

A new creative lab opened its doors to the public this December at the heart of Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. Aimed at boosting the competency of the nation’s maker community, the SparkLab Innovation Center provides tools for advanced product prototyping and playful experimentation to would-be innovators and inventors.

A collaborative effort between the elite team of hotshot engineers from ThinkLab and the tech revolutionaries from Norde International Distributors, SparkLab houses the country’s leading computer science and electronics experts, as well as high-grade tools for product design and development, such as CNC router, Microsoft HoloLens, 3D scanner and full-color 3D printer.

“We want to be the satellite offices of those who need equipment for prototyping. We don’t want people to use the space as an office. We don’t want people to stay here and just type on their laptops. We want people to build things here, and collaborate with our engineers to maximize the technology and expertise available in the space,” Norde’s Marketing and Business Development Manager Denis Cedric Ty said.

Elevating technical education

In 2008, co-founder Roland Jay Miguel created ThinkLab—a powerhouse of tech pundits dedicated to helping students gain the practical knowledge and experience that they need to be the country’s next game-changing maker. After training over thousands of Filipinos nationwide, Miguel’s passion eventually evolved into the top-notch research facility that is SparkLab, which is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and other private and public institutions in the Philippines.

“When I was taking my masters in electrical engineering, I met graduating students who still don’t know what they’re doing because their schools don’t have the equipment and resources to let them practice the theories. I started ThinkLab to help them improve their skills. It just started as a hobby, but eventually, I formalized it, put more structure into it and got this space with the help of Norde. Now it’s SparkLab. And I want it to be a prime hub for passionate, creative Filipino tinkerers,” SparkLab co-founder Miguel shared.

The new co-working lab would continue what the group has been doing for the past eight years at ThinkLab and aims to host regular, one-of-a-kind lectures and workshops by innovation rockstars. 

Closing the gap between science and art

SparkLab invited the movers and shakers in the science and arts industry to talk about recent innovations in their respective fields. The whole morning was dedicated for the left-brain, as DOST’s executive director Dr. Carlos Primo David shared technical details of the latest key government projects and how they drive economic growth in the country. Samsung’s Philip Romulo and Intel’s Charles Ty also discussed the role of makers in worldwide innovation, while Abiva’s CEO Mylene Abiva let the audience play with LEGOs and inspired women to pursue robotics and other Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

Eighteen-year-old Google Science Fair awardee Angelo Casimiro also paraded his phone-controlled BB8 invention and urged the youth to join the maker revolution as early as they can. An advocate of low-cost tech production, he assured everyone that he started with little resources and just build his way through fame.

“Bago po ako nagkaroon ng workspace, bago ako nagkaroon ng kumpletong set of tools, nag-start ako sa isang soldering iron, isang glue gun, tapos ‘yung toolbox ng tatay ko. Ang sinasabi ng mga tao kapag nakikita nila ako sa TV, mayaman ‘tong batang to. Actually, hindi, nagsimula ako sa tatlong tools lang na ‘yon. Tapos sa edad ng sampu, nagsimula ako magsulat ng mga DIY tutorials sa Instructables…Tapos ‘yung mga napapanalunan kong prizes sa mga contests na sinasalihan ko binebenta ko hanggang umabot sa ganito,” Casimiro said.

The afternoon, on the other hand, was for the right-brain, as established interdisciplinary artists Tad Ermitaño, Derek Tumala, Mark Rambo and Tengal Drilon talked about how they are incorporating science and technology into their art practice. The artists curated an exhibit at SparkLab’s basement that showcases futuristic multimedia installations, and a sound-activated robot by critically acclaimed Filipino artist Ian Jaucian.

“The presence of artists in this program shows that SparkLab not only supports innovation in the field of science and engineering, but also in arts and culture,” SparkLab’s Marketing Manager Luigi Calingasan Conti said.

Indeed, the new co-working hub is that sweet spot where traditionally divorced fields intersect, and the right- and left- brains marry.

Decentralizing innovation

SparkLab co-founder Miguel expressed the need to reach out to young Filipino makers outside of Manila. 

“Currently, everything is centralized in Manila. I want to change that. Actually, we’re thinking of getting public schools students from various provinces to go here. I’m already talking with PNRI OIC Dr. Carlos Primo David about it. We’re still developing the terms, but we definitely want that,” SparkLab co-founder Roland Jay Miguel said. 

When asked if SparkLab is planning to develop the very first maker residency program in the future for students and inventors in the province, Miguel said that it’s highly possible.

“We’re still talking about developing a program. It’s either that or we build satellite offices outside Manila,” he replied. — TJD, GMA News

SparkLab Innovation Center is at 118 Matahimik St., Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. Their rates start from Php895 per day for individual makers to Php9,990 for solo startups. For more information and inquiries, kindly contact Luigi Conti at 0927-6765972 or (2) 5087955. You may also visit their website: sparklab.ph, as well as their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SparkLab/