DOST Launches Central Visayas iHub and Smart AgriTech Hub in Cebu

The Department of Science and Technology in Central Visayas launched two new innovation platforms in Cebu on March 17, 2026: the Central Visayas Smart AgriTech Hub, also called the SARAi Regional Hub, and the Innovation Hub Central Visayas or iHub CV.

Together, the two hubs widen the region's startup support stack. The SARAi hub focuses on smart farming, climate resilience, and science-based agriculture tools, while iHub CV is designed to help innovators and entrepreneurs move into smart systems, artificial intelligence, and other emerging industries.

According to the Philippine Information Agency report, the SARAi hub gives local agriculture stakeholders access to crop monitoring, weather-linked advisories, irrigation decision tools, pest identification tools, and other data-driven systems that can improve productivity and reduce climate-related risk.

The iHub CV matters just as much for founders. DOST said it complements the Cebu Provincial Innovation Hub by taking validated ideas further into startup formation, technology commercialization, and industry connections. Its operating model centers on four actions: inspire, interact, ideate, and initiate.

For founders in Cebu and the wider Visayas, this signals that the region is building not just events and policy conversations, but real innovation infrastructure. Agritech, climate tech, AI, and applied digital products now have a clearer path from concept to incubation and partner matching.

This is the kind of ecosystem build-out that improves search visibility and investor confidence over time. When a region can point to formal hubs, commercialization pathways, and government-backed technical support, it becomes easier for founders to attract talent, collaborators, and capital.