Insights on Energy Resilience at University of Philippines Innovation Summit 2026

· energy-resilience, ASEAN, green-transition, innovation-summit

SMX Aura, Taguig City, Philippines, 6 May 2026 — At the UP Innovation Summit 2026, held at SMX Aura, Taguig City, Philippines on the 6th of May, Professor Liu Lerwen shared her insights alongside other panelists on the topic of 'Innovating for Energy Resilience: Technology, Finance, and Systems for a Sustainable Future'. The concept of building a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive energy system not just in the Philippines but across ASEAN was acknowledged and encouraged by leaders from fields such as academia, industries, startups and government and by working together, creates an ecosystem for innovation.

The UP Summit's discussions were aligned with the Human Centered Science Research and Education Lab's (HCSREL) mission: to build the human-centric ecosystems for the green transition by integrating global knowledge, entrepreneurial talent and data driven solutions to empower a sustainable future. Central to this mission is HCSREL's vision of a world where human prosperity and a thriving planet are considered as one and the same.

Professor Liu shared her perspectives on how ASEAN and Singapore's innovation ecosystems can help the Philippines improve and scale their clean energy innovation. During the discussion, she highlighted the importance of strengthening university-industry partnerships, supporting commercialization pathways for research, and developing institutional capabilities that sustain innovation beyond short term cycles.

Amid the growing global uncertainties especially climate related disruptions and geopolitical tensions affecting energy supply chain, Professor Liu emphasized the role of ASEAN cooperation in enhancing energy resilience. A collaborative innovation, use of interconnected systems and creating regional policy alignment will help countries prepare better for a future energy challenge. Moving forward, she shared her thoughts on how the Middle East crisis can actually strengthen the need for ASEAN energy integration and regional mechanisms and the lessons ASEAN could learn from the current crisis that could shape a resilient regional energy system which is much more efficient and reliable. Her insights challenged attendees to focus on larger systems that sustain progress over time rather than individual innovations.

The panel also featured experts from the University of the Philippines, BDO Unibank, the Energy Regulatory Commission, and New Energy Nexus Philippines. Discussions covered topics such as renewable energy integration, green financing, startup commercialization, policy reform, and ASEAN grid connectivity.

Throughout the session, panelists underscored that achieving energy resilience requires coordinated action across multiple sectors such as technology, finance, governance, and regional partnerships. Beyond that, use of innovation platforms (UPLink, The Liveability Challenge, etc.) and public-private partnership (FAST-P, GPAP, etc.) can support deployment of scalable and inclusive energy solutions. With collaborations among universities, industries, policymakers and entrepreneurs, the region can accelerate the development of sustainable technologies and resilient infrastructure showing us the need and importance of ASEAN collaboration.

The UP Innovation Summit 2026 serves as a platform for fostering cross-sector collaboration not just to exchange ideas but to address emerging challenges through research, technology, and partnerships. It made one thing clear — energy resilience in the Philippines and across ASEAN will not be achieved by any single sector alone. It demands coordinated action, sustained partnerships, and the courage to think beyond borders and short-term cycles.