Batangas State University opens LIMA campus

Batangas State University (BatStateU) The National Engineering University launched its LIMA Campus in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas to redefine engineering and technology education through an industry-based learning model focused on Industry 4.0.

The new campus, a partnership with Aboitiz Economic Estates, is located within the LIMA Estate, one of Asia’s major industrial-anchored economic zones in the CALABARZON region. The collaboration is intended to equip students and professionals with cutting-edge skills directly relevant to the country’s most industrialized area.

The event, held on Nov. 11 2025, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by BatStateU president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo and Aboitiz Land and Aboitiz Economic Estates president and chief executive Rafael Fernandez de Mesa.

Ronquillo described the campus as a “living symbol” of action and unity, citing the importance of learning within an industry setting.

“The best way to teach cooking is in the kitchen,” he said, noting the partnership has helped “redefine what education should be.”

Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto delivered a keynote address, highlighting the campus’s role in preparing future innovators and industry leaders. Supporting the initiative, Batangas 6th District Rep. Ryan Christian Recto said the collaboration among government, industry and the academe to ensure learning remains relevant.

The campus launched its industry-based learning curriculum, anchored on the theme “Engineering Industry-Based Learning Shaping Industry Leaders of the Future.”

For undergraduates, the LIMA Campus offers an expansive portfolio of Industry 4.0-aligned programs, including Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Food Engineering, Automotive Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering.

These programs integrate practical hands-on experience in advanced laboratories and smart classrooms.

For working professionals, the campus provides flexible, career-oriented pathways, including graduate programs like Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Electronics Engineering and Engineering Management and Master’s degrees in Artificial Intelligence Data Science and Advanced Manufacturing.

The campus also offers the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), allowing mid-level LIMA Estate professionals to earn college degrees by accrediting their work experience. Flexible stackable Industry Microcredential programs are offered in high-demand fields such as Data Science Cybersecurity and Project Management.

Aboitiz Land and Aboitiz Economic Estates president and chief executive Rafael Fernandez de Mesa affirmed his company’s commitment, saying the partnership reflects their goal of “creating environments that empower people to grow innovate and succeed.”

He said that investing in education sustains communities and industry competitiveness.

The foundation for the partnership was established after the Aboitiz Economic Estates Board approved the donation of 10 hectares of land to Batangas State University on June 13 2025. This was followed by the formal approval of the BatStateU LIMA Campus by the Batangas State University Board of Regents on June 19 2025. They signed a memorandum of agreement on Aug. 12, 2025.