Research
Sustainable startup and innovation ecosystems
My research asks how Philippine startup ecosystems, and the technology business incubators at their center, can grow in ways that are economically viable, socially inclusive, and environmentally responsible. I work with grounded theory and phenomenology, informed by systems and futures thinking. I also serve as a co-mentor in the ARISE (Adaptive Research-Innovation Systems and Environment) Research Group, a mentorship program of UP Open University’s Faculty of Management and Development Studies.
Conference paper · Oct 2026
Technology Business Incubators as Sustainable Open Systems Using the Constructivist Grounded Theory of Adaptive Resilience
Heherson Paris B. España and Leo Mendel D. Rosario · Oral presentation, 4th International Forum on Sustainability Science, Pampanga State Agricultural University, Magalang, Pampanga, 5–7 October 2026
Philippine incubators are often described through the policies that created them, as if they were fixed structures. This study looks at them instead as open systems: organizations that survive by constantly drawing mentors, partners, funding and knowledge from their surroundings. Through interviews with incubator managers and startup founders across Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, it examines how incubators respond to pressures such as ending grant cycles and staff turnover. It also asks how their results line up with the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability and with SDG 9.
Master’s thesis · 2025
Perspectives on Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) for Philippine Startups: A Grounded Theory Approach
Master of Research and Development Management, Faculty of Management and Development Studies, UP Open University · Adviser: Asst. Prof. Leo Mendel D. Rosario, PhD
What does a technology business incubator look like from the inside in the Philippines? Drawing on fifteen interviews with ten incubator managers and five startup founders from across the country, this study traces how Philippine incubators are moving from grant-dependent programs toward more financially resilient, business-like organizations. It proposes the theory of the Adaptive Resilience of Philippine TBIs: an incubator’s capacity to absorb disruptions, adapt how it works, and keep serving both its startups and its wider ecosystem over the long term.
Conference presentation · Nov 2025
Understanding the Narratives of Women Role Models in the Regional Technology Startup Ecosystems of the Philippines: A Phenomenological Approach
Heherson Paris B. España, Leo Mendel D. Rosario, and Maria Lourdes Jarabe · Presented at the 7th Asian Association of Women’s Studies (AAWS) Congress, UP Open University, Los Baños, 6–7 November 2025
Women remain underrepresented among tech founders and leaders in the Philippines, especially outside Metro Manila. This study draws on in-depth interviews with seven women founders and leaders recognized as role models in regional startup ecosystems. Through their stories, it explores their career paths, leadership, the demands placed on them at work and at home, and their advocacy for women in technology. It aims to inform policies and programs that help more Filipinas lead in tech.
Proposed study · Poster 2024
Meta-analysis of Sustainable Models for Philippine Technology Business Incubators
Heherson Paris B. España and Leo Mendel D. Rosario · Poster, 2nd International Forum on Sustainability Science, Caraga State University, Butuan City, 10–12 July 2024
Many incubators depend on outside funding and have few revenue streams of their own. This proposed meta-analysis will bring together existing research on what keeps incubators financially and operationally sustainable. Its scope includes revenue models, public–private partnerships, performance-based funding, ancillary services, and the role of mentorship and networks in startup success. The aim is to give incubator managers and policymakers evidence-based recommendations.
Research profiles: ORCID · Google Scholar · ResearchGate · LinkedIn · YouTube