Our society is constantly advancing thanks to the forerunners who contributed to the creation and development of technology. Because of them, we are now witnessing an endless stream of innovation aimed at making people’s lives easier. These innovations, however, would not be possible today without tech-savvy and business-minded individuals.
Hence, having an entrepreneurial mindset paves the way for technological advancements to reach the market, making them accessible for everyone to use or experience. This is where technopreneurship comes in.
But first, in order to fully immerse ourselves in the world of technopreneurship, we must understand the importance of technopreneurship. Only then can we succeed on this path. In this article, we will talk about the value of technopreneurship and how it has impacted nations worldwide, especially the Philippines. Let’s get started.
What is Technopreneurship?
Firstly, technopreneurship is the fusion of the words “technology” and “entrepreneurship.” According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a technopreneur is “an entrepreneur involved with high technology.”
In addition to that definition, a technopreneur is someone who establishes and runs their own technology company. By utilizing entrepreneurial abilities and skills with technological knowledge, technopreneurs focus on expanding the power of technology. The goal in this field is to develop a product or solution that employs technological methods to alter how something was done previously and how it will be done better in the future.
To help you understand the concept better, consider some of the prominent figures associated with the rise of technopreneurship:
- Bill Gates (Microsoft)
- Elon Musk (Tesla)
- Jack Dorsey (Twitter)
- Larry Page (Google)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
- Steve Jobs (Apple)
These are names probably familiar to you now, who are some of the most notable and successful technopreneurs of today’s generation. With their innovations, they changed the course of history and helped society become tolerant of the ongoing updating of technological products and services. Their success simply demonstrates that recognizing the importance of technopreneurship in the manner they did is a step toward a promising future.
Technopreneurship in the Philippines
There is no denying that first-world countries have embraced technological advancements. Everything about their way of life is simpler, including banking and finance, communication, food production, retail, and transportation. Because of this, the importance of technopreneurship is prevalent throughout the business world.
Here in the Philippines, it is amazing to see how far we have come in integrating the idea of technopreneurship and its results into society. Granted, there is still much work to be done in order to fully establish an advanced technological environment. That being said, it is high time that our country started giving complete notice of the prospect of regional and global competition in the technological sphere.
Moreover, numerous Filipino technopreneurs are flourishing and leaving their mark both nationally and internationally. Through them, we’ve observed growth in the industry and maintained a competitive edge in the world market. Here are a few examples.
Diosdado “Dado” Banatao
A technopreneur pioneer, Banatao represented the Philippines’ initial wave of digital innovation, technology, and the Internet. He is responsible for the PC chip and graphics accelerator chip found in every personal computer today.
Marx Melencio
Another example of an inspiring Filipino technopreneur, Melencio taught himself web development skills—despite being visually impaired. This disability didn’t stop him from being an innovator. Instead, Melencio created an application with a computer code that can convert text into spoken audio. Aside from that, he also established Grayscale & VISION AI Labs, a web marketing business that later grew into the multilingual call center sector.
Other Examples of Filipino Technopreneurs
Apart from the innovators mentioned above, young Filipino technopreneurs also do their share to pave the way for more accessible natural resources and a sustainable environment.
- Leandro Leviste: He established Solar Philippines, a business that offers distinctive renewable energy options. Additionally, Leviste was among the first to establish a solar panel factory in the Philippines.
- Rachel De Villa: Another young Filipino technopreneur is De Villa, who co-created Cropital. This is a platform for crowdfunding that connects users to provide financial support for Filipino farmers.
What Makes Technopreneurship Important?
Steve Jobs once said, “The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.” So, for us to become world changers, apart from believing in ourselves, we have to think of the deeper impact of our endeavors. Anyone who aims to be a great technopreneur needs to acknowledge the value of technopreneurship.
In line with this, we have listed down the importance of technopreneurship:
- Through technological goods and services, it supports the beneficial and long-term development of technology.
- For many people, it opens up access to technological advancement.
- It leads to more employment opportunities, particularly in MSMEs (micro, small, and medium-sized businesses).
- Additionally, it supports the growth of the market or economy.
- Finally, it encourages having an entrepreneurial mindset.
Now that we know these, we must constantly be aware of the significance of technopreneurship in general and in our own country in particular. Because of this, when we finally make the decision to enter the world of technopreneurship, we must be able to go above and beyond in our pursuit of cutting-edge tech goods or services.
Finally, once someone understands the importance of technopreneurship, everything is literally possible when we rely on technological and entrepreneurial abilities. It takes more than just brains to succeed, as demonstrated by the Filipino technopreneurs who were mentioned earlier. It also takes heart to pursue an endeavor for the benefit of your fellow human beings.
Start Your Technopreneurship Journey Right with CIIT Philippines
Do you wish to be a catalyst that will produce better tech ideas that will flourish in the economy? If that’s the case, CIIT Philippines is here to help you cultivate your knowledge and skills. Take the first step toward realizing your passion for developing and innovating technological products and services by getting the education you need to become the next technopreneur of this generation today.
Allow CIIT Philippines to assist you to hone your inner technopreneur. Take advantage of our Entrepreneurship Program today to get the education you deserve!
