Davao to host ASEAN Innovation Summit, eyes stronger MSME, agri linkages

DAVAO CITY (May 7) — Davao City is positioning itself as a regional innovation hub with the launch of the first ASEAN Innovation Summit 2026, a gathering of Southeast Asian business leaders and innovators aimed at strengthening trade, technology, and agribusiness collaboration across the region.

Organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII), the summit will run alongside the 28th Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) on September 17 to 19 at the SMX Convention Center Davao, bringing together MSMEs, investors, and industry players from across ASEAN.

DCCCII president Marisol Tiu said the twin events are designed to turn innovation into inclusive growth by linking small enterprises to broader regional markets and financing opportunities.

“The ASEAN Innovation Summit 2026 convenes regional leaders and innovators to showcase MSMEs as engines of inclusive growth, expand access to finance, markets, and global branding, and drive innovation across priority sectors including health, tourism, agriculture, and smart manufacturing,” Tiu said during the chamber’s general membership meeting.

At the center of the initiative is a push to position MSMEs not just as local players, but as part of ASEAN-wide value chains—particularly in agriculture, a sector where Mindanao has long been a key contributor.

Building regional bridges

As part of preparations, organizers are coordinating with ASEAN diplomatic missions in Davao, including Indonesian and Malaysian consulates, to mobilize participation from regional business networks.

The effort reflects a broader strategy to deepen integration within the BIMP-EAGA subregional bloc, where Davao is being promoted as a gateway for trade and investment flows.

Agriculture meets innovation

Running parallel to the summit, the Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) will showcase developments in agribusiness—from production technologies to value-added processing—highlighting Mindanao’s role as one of the country’s food and export powerhouses.

Together, the two events aim to connect farm production with digital innovation, financing, and export markets, creating a pipeline that links rural producers to regional demand.

A bid for ASEAN visibility

Local business leaders say the simultaneous staging of the summit and trade expo signals Davao’s ambition to compete as a regional hub for innovation-driven growth.

If successful, the initiative could strengthen cross-border partnerships, expand market access for MSMEs, and reinforce Mindanao’s role in ASEAN economic integration—turning a local trade event into a regional platform for collaboration.