UP Institute of Civil Engineering

What UP Institute of Civil Engineering does

UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UP ICE) is a constituent academic unit of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Engineering, located in Quezon City, Philippines. Established as a Civil Engineering Program in 1910 and elevated to Institute status in June 2022, UP ICE is the first and only institute of civil engineering in the Philippines. It offers BS, MS, and PhD degree programs in Civil Engineering, with graduate specializations in Structural, Geotechnical, Transportation, and Water Resources Engineering, organized through six academic groups plus affiliated research centers (UP NHRC, NCTS, BRS). The institute consistently ranks as the top-performing school in the PRC Civil Engineer Licensure Examination, with passing rates between 94% and 98.55% across recent examination periods.

UP ICE operates specialized research laboratories including the Construction Materials and Structures Laboratory (CoMSLab, housing a 2000-kN Universal Testing Machine donated by DMCI Homes), a planned 3m x 3m bi-axial shaking table, and ten discipline-specific laboratories covering structural, geotechnical, environmental, fire, fluid mechanics, coastal, transportation, and wind tunnel research. Its core technology infrastructure is physical testing equipment rather than digital platforms. The institute runs DOST-funded applied research projects such as Project PAVE (automated road condition survey) and Project ExPerlite (perlite lightweight aggregates), and publishes through the Philippine Engineering Journal.

As a state-funded academic institution, UP ICE has no commercial revenue model. Its funding comes from Philippine government appropriations through the UP System, supplemented by research grants (primarily DOST) and equipment donations from industry partners such as DMCI Homes. There are no external investors, shareholders, or commercial pricing structures. The primary customers are undergraduate and graduate students admitted through UP's centralized systems, with secondary engagement with government agencies (DPWH, DOST, PRC, LGUs) and industry partners for contract research, technical consultations, and laboratory testing services.

Name

UP Institute of Civil Engineering

Legal name

UP Institute of Civil Engineering

Website

https://ice.upd.edu.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UP Institute of Civil Engineering is the first and only institute of civil engineering in the Philippines, offering BS, MS, and PhD programs through University of the Philippines Diliman. It serves students, government agencies, and industry with education, research, and technical consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Civil engineering education
• Structural engineering research
• Geotechnical engineering
• Water resources engineering
• Transportation engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a constituent unit of University of the Philippines, the institute receives operational funding from the Philippine government through the UP System.
2. Research Grants and Donations: External funding from Department of Science and Technology (DOST), industry partners like DMCI Homes, and other organizations for specific research projects and equipment donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UP ICE) is an academic unit of the University of the Philippines Diliman that offers undergraduate (BS CE), master's (MS CE), and doctoral (PhD CE) degree programs in civil engineering, with specializations in Structural, Geotechnical, Transportation, Water Resources, Environmental and Energy, and Construction Engineering and Management. The institute operates specialized research laboratories and conducts funded research projects, extension services, and licensure examination preparation.

Product overview

UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UP ICE) is an academic institution offering undergraduate (BS CE), graduate (MS CE), and doctoral (PhD CE) degree programs in civil engineering. The Institute operates through six academic specialization groups: Construction Engineering and Management, Environmental and Energy Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources and Coastal Engineering. UP ICE also maintains research laboratories including the Construction Materials and Structures Laboratory (CoMSLab), and conducts research projects such as Project PAVE (automated road survey equipment) and Project ExPerlite (lightweight aggregate research). The Institute publishes through the Philippine Engineering Journal and participates in various DOST-funded research initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BS Civil Engineering Degree Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.55% passing rate in November 2023 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination (68/69 examinees passed)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered significant, minor and core.

• DMCI HomessignificantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2023DMCI Homes donated a 2000-kN Universal Testing Machine, laptop computers, and laboratory furniture to enhance performance of construction materials tests and experiments at UP ICE. The donation was formalized through a turnover ceremony.
• Holcim PhilippinesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2022UP ICE joined the launch of the Circular Explorer in Manila Bay - a 100% solar-powered prototype catamaran designed to recover up to 4 tons/day of plastic waste. Holcim organized the launch event with One Earth One Ocean.
• One Earth One OceanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2022Partnered with Holcim for the Circular Explorer project - a first of its kind 100% solar powered prototype catamaran for marine waste recovery.
• UP Marine Science InstitutesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine Science Institute partners with Circular Explorer operators to advance ocean research with built-in sensors and micro-plastic collectors for live data mapping.
• UP National Hydraulic Research Center (UP NHRC)coreTechnology or IntegrationUP NHRC is a constituent center of UP National Engineering Center conducting research and providing technical advice on water resources, hydrology, hydraulic and coastal engineering. UP ICE faculty serve as head of WRCEG and director of NHRC.
• UP National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCTS is an affiliate research center under UP ICE. Faculty members serve as director and head of Traffic Engineering and Management Group. Project PAVE is coordinated with NCTS.
• UP Building Research Service (BRS)coreTechnology or IntegrationBRS is an affiliate research center. UP ICE faculty Dr. Aquino was appointed as director. BRS conducts building-related research.
• UP National Engineering CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUP NEC implements research projects including CamSur Seawall project in cooperation with UP NHRC for DPWH.
• Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPWH is the government agency partnered with for infrastructure projects including CamSur Seawall feasibility study and detailed engineering design.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• De La Salle University (Gokongwei College of Engineering): A premier Philippine private university with a civil engineering program that competes with UP ICE for top students, faculty, and research partnerships. DLSU consistently ranks among the top-performing schools in the Civil Engineer Licensure Examination.
• Ateneo de Manila University (School of Science and Engineering): A leading Philippine private university offering civil engineering programs and competing for top-tier students and faculty against UP ICE. Although newer to the field, it represents an emerging competitor with strong industry links.
• Technological University of the Philippines (TUP): A state university with a strong College of Engineering offering civil engineering programs. Competes with UP ICE in producing licensure examination candidates and serves a similar student demographic seeking public engineering education in Metro Manila.
• Mapua University (School of Civil, Industrial, and Architectural Engineering): A leading Philippine private engineering university offering BS Civil Engineering programs and licensure preparation. Competes directly with UP ICE for top civil engineering students in the Philippines and is regularly named a top-performing school alongside UP ICE.
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP): A large state university with an established civil engineering program and a broad student base. Competes with UP ICE for public university students preparing for the civil engineering licensure examination in Metro Manila.
• University of Santo Tomas (Faculty of Engineering): A major Philippine private university with a civil engineering program and established research tradition. Competes directly with UP ICE in licensure examination performance and in attracting industry-funded research projects.

Broad incumbents

• Tokyo University Civil Engineering Department: A premier global civil engineering academic department where UP ICE faculty have collaborated as visiting researchers (Earthquake Research Institute). Comparable research scope in structural and earthquake engineering, with significantly larger resources and global standing.
• National University of Singapore (NUS) Civil & Environmental Engineering: A globally top-ranked civil engineering department offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with significant research output. Comparable as a Southeast Asian academic peer with substantially greater international research footprint and resources than UP ICE.

Regional players

• Batangas State University (College of Engineering): A Philippine state university with a civil engineering program serving the Southern Luzon region. Comparable in mission as a state-funded civil engineering educator, although serving a different geographic catchment from UP ICE.

Emerging players

• National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE): Taiwan's premier earthquake engineering research center, recognized as a peer through the IDEERS competition and joint structural engineering research. Comparable in mission scope to UP ICE's structural engineering laboratory capabilities, although operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iceupdiliman
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UPInstituteofCivilEngineering
• Facebookfacebook.com/ice.upd.edu.ph
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up-institute-of-civil-engineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UP Institute of Civil Engineering