“To all our participants and finalists, reaching this national platform is already a meaningful accomplishment. Your work demonstrates how science, technology, and innovation can contribute to communities, industries, and the broader development of our nation,” DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. stated in his closing remarks.
“To our winners, today’s recognition is both an honor and a challenge. It affirms the value of your work and encourages you to continue refining, strengthening, and advancing your technologies toward wider use and greater contribution,” Solidum added.
Solidum additionally vowed to proceed supporting Filipino inventors–from mental property safety and know-how improvement to promotion, adoption, and commercialization—by means of the continued efforts of DOST-TAPI and their institutional companions.
“On behalf of the Department of Science and Technology, I express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s National Invention Contest and Exhibits; to our organizers, to our judges, to our partners, to our stakeholders, and to all those who worked behind the scenes to bring this event to life,” Solidum stated.
On the opening day of this yr’s National Invention Contest and Exhibits, the DOST-TAPI turned that problem right into a nationwide platform, one that provides promising improvements the visibility, recognition, and assist wanted to maneuver from idea to real-world affect.
From 764 entries screened and evaluated by means of the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit by Cluster 2025, solely 28 nationwide finalists superior to NICE 2026, reflecting each the depth of Filipino ingenuity and the pressing want to assist these concepts transfer past the drafting board.
Moving from regional to nationwide competitors, NICE serves as a nationwide platform the place improvements are acknowledged, linked to assist techniques, and positioned for wider adoption in communities, enterprises, and international markets. Read extra right here for the official checklist of 2025 ClusteRICE winners: DOST-TAPI Brings Reg’l Grassroots Innovators to the National Stage at NICE 2026.
To formally launch the brand new wave of Filipino grassroots innovators from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, DOST-TAPI opened to the general public the NICE 2026 displays, showcasing locally-made applied sciences that superior from ClusteRICE 2025.
The finalists competed throughout 5 award classes: Outstanding Invention (Tuklas Award) for government- and privately-funded, Outstanding Utility Model (Unlad Award), Outstanding Industrial Design (Banghay Award), Outstanding Creative Research (Likha Award) for government- and privately-funded, and Outstanding Student Creative Research (Sibol Award) for highschool and school ranges.
Entries have been judged primarily based on official standards, together with perceived affect on society, diploma of improvement and readiness for adoption, and readability of presentation and demonstration. For artistic and pupil analysis classes, originality, methodology, and market potential have been additionally emphasised. Check right here the 2026 NICE Rules and Criteria. Winners obtained substantial money prizes of as much as 300 thousand pesos, together with plaques and certificates. Beyond monetary rewards, high winners gained alternatives for native and worldwide publicity, enabling them to introduce their improvements to broader markets, develop and scale their merchandise, and join with potential companions and collaborators.
Importantly, winners may be endorsed to DOST-TAPI’s packages and providers by means of a holistic assist system, spanning mental property safety, pre-commercialization help, linkages and advertising and marketing, and know-how switch and commercialization. This ensures that improvements are nurtured from IP safety to market entry.
As a part of strengthening the Intellectual Property filings and commercialization efforts for the locally-developed applied sciences within the Philippines, 2026 NICE additionally featured the signing of a knowledge sharing settlement with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), which goals to streamline entry to mental property assist, serving to inventors higher defend their concepts and join extra effectively to authorities help.
At the identical time, the co-financing collaboration with MURATA opens expanded funding alternatives for innovators whose applied sciences are prepared to maneuver past prototypes, bridging essential gaps wanted for scaling and market entry.
Meanwhile, the popularity of International Inventor Awardees highlighted how Filipino improvements can thrive past native platforms when supported by sturdy innovation networks. These awardees are members of the Filipino Inventors Society, Inc., one of many accredited inventors’ organizations beneath DOST-TAPI’s Inventors’ Organization Accreditation Program.
On Day 2, the momentum continues because the NICE 2026 displays stay open to the general public, providing one other alternative to expertise Filipino homegrown improvements firsthand. Over and above the displays, the occasion creates house for significant engagement, bringing collectively innovators, trade leaders, policymakers, and potential companions in a shared setting for fruitful collaboration, strengthening networking, and the change of concepts.
The spotlight of the closing program is the winners’ recognition per class, celebrating probably the most excellent improvements throughout 5 award classes.
The 2026 NICE first prize winners additionally obtained one of many highest distinctions for Filipino inventors, as they’re set to be personally acknowledged by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.