AIM-Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary Forum on Catalyzing Innovation and Industry Evolution
MAKATI CITY, Philippines — The Asian Institute of Management’s Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ASITE) marked its 8th anniversary with a high-impact forum titled “Catalyzing Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship to Drive Industry Evolution.” The event brought together students, alumni, partners, and industry leaders to reflect on ASITE’s journey and the evolving demands of innovation leadership in the Philippines.
Opening the celebration, Prof. Christopher Monterola, Head of ASITE, shared the significance behind the school’s November 8 anniversary. He explained, “The reason why we put that date (November 8) is because on 08 November 2013, we were hit by one of the strongest typhoons that ever hit the land of any country, and that’s Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).” He added that the founders hoped to transform this painful moment into purpose: “Our hope is that by creating a school like this, we will be able to redefine history and realize that there are routines we can do through human ingenuity, through entrepreneurship, through innovation, through technology, that can change that.”
The date serves as a reminder that resilience should not mean enduring the same hardships without change. It represents the kinds of complex national challenges, such as climate events, disruptions, and national-scale risks, that require stronger innovation capabilities, deeper technical expertise, and leaders who can apply technology and entrepreneurship to solve real problems. ASITE was built on the belief that true resilience comes not only from endurance, but from transformation.
From this foundation, ASITE has become one of the Institute’s most dynamic centers of excellence. Prof. Monterola noted that “ASITE is now home to more than half of the total AIM growth in student population,” describing it as a thriving ecosystem of technologists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
In his keynote, he emphasized how breakthroughs in computation—particularly the 2017 introduction of the transformer architecture—triggered major shifts in data and AI. This development, he explained, allowed models to “ingest data very efficiently, and interpret that information in a very brilliant way,” fueling what he described as a global technological renaissance.
As data accelerates and computing power becomes widely accessible, he underscored the need for leaders who understand both technology and entrepreneurship—a combination ASITE was intentionally built to cultivate.
Innovation in action: AIM alumni driving industry change
The anniversary forum featured three distinguished ASITE alumni whose work demonstrates how innovation can strengthen resilience, transform industries, and address real-world challenges—echoing the inspiration behind ASITE’s founding.
Matthew A. Cua, Master in Innovation and Business alumnus and humanitarian entrepreneur, shared his journey from environmental science to humanitarian drone operations following Typhoon Yolanda. The disaster redirected his career. As he recalled, “Typhoon Yolanda happened, and my life changed. I became a humanitarian at that time.”
Operating in devastated areas when information was scarce, Cua developed drones at a time when the Philippines had limited access to satellite data. These tools enabled faster mapping and assessment, which is critical for disaster response. His work later intersected with emerging connectivity technologies such as Starlink, which he helped introduce to the country. By enabling high-speed connectivity in remote or hard-hit areas, Starlink supports more resilient communication systems during crises—an extension of the same humanitarian spirit shaped by Yolanda.
Reflecting on ASITE’s role in nurturing innovation, he described the school as a “platform for good ideas that might just work.”
Jefferson Tan, Master of Science in Data Science alumnus, discussed the realities organizations face in adopting data and AI. He shared, “There is a lot of tech and innovations that we want to carry…and there’s a lot of frustrations and roadblocks that you will encounter.”
Dom Subang, Master in Entrepreneurship alumnus, offered the perspective of a traditional industry undergoing profound change. Reflecting on his early exposure to AI, he said, “My first question about machine learning is, ‘Huh? Can a machine learn?’”
As a banana and coffee grower, he faced labor shortages that worsened during the pandemic. His team turned to agricultural drones to mechanize farm operations and eventually expanded the technology to support other farmers. Subang articulated their mission clearly: “Our goal is to make the farmers sexy…body, brain, and beauty.” This meant equipping farmers with modern tools (body), training and data-driven knowledge (brain), and improved yields and livelihoods (beauty). He stressed that innovation requires humility and purpose, noting, “We value mission over ego.”
Taken together, these alumni stories show how innovation, whether in disaster response, connectivity, organizational transformation, or agriculture, advances the Institute’s and ASITE’s founding purpose: to build leaders who turn adversity into action and develop solutions that strengthen the resilience of communities, industries, and the nation.
Building a nation of innovators
The event also highlighted ASITE’s growing academic portfolio, including the Master in Innovation and Business, Master in Entrepreneurship, Master in AI and Data Analytics, Master of Science in Data Science, PhD in Data Science, and the Philippines’ first transnational double degree in business and data science, the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Business Administration & Bachelor of Business Administration, Major in Information Systems.
ASITE continues to build a robust innovation ecosystem anchored by the Institute’s Analytics, Computing, and Complex Systems (ACCeSs) Lab and the country’s fastest AI supercomputer. It has also contributed to national initiatives, including co-authoring the Philippine National AI Strategy Roadmap.
A future defined by innovation and purpose
ASITE’s 8th anniversary reaffirms its mission to harness innovation and technology for resilience and national progress. The forum showed how its community pushes boundaries and drives change, reinforcing that the future will be shaped by mission-driven, tech-capable leaders—leaders nurtured in communities like the Asian Institute of Management’s ASITE.
