The Research and Development Center (R&DC) was formally created on May 3, 1966, with the appointment of Dr. Alfonso G. Garcia, as the first Director of the R&DC of the Baguio Tech (now University of Baguio).

The creation of the R&DC was spearheaded to serve as a venue for the harmonious growth of the different departments of the institution, their faculty and students, in their pursuit of academic excellence and professional growth and development.

In 1966, the R&DC took charge of the publication of the Baguio Tech Journal (formerly Compendium), a biannual journal (January-June and July-December) devoted to research on the culture of the different ethnic groups of the Northern Luzon-Cordillera Regions and on the problems or researches on education in Northern Luzon.  Soon after, its maiden issue, the Baguio Tech Journal, was approved on September 2, 1966, by the Bureau of Private Schools as a general reference material for all colleges and universities in the Philippines.

When Baguio Tech became University of Baguio in August 1969, the Baguio Tech Journal was re-named the University of Baguio Research Journal.  It was entered as third-class mail matter at the Baguio City Post Office on December 18, 1979, with ISSN 0115-2521. The R&DC then embarked in a journal exchange program with other higher education institutions throughout the country.

In 2004, the R&DC, through the initiative of Dr. Lloyd V. Orduna, created the College Research Anchorpersons group to monitor the status of faculty researches in each college and ensure the production of faculty researches. This group is currently called the Research Anchorpersons. In the same year, the Institutional Research Review Board (IRRB) later renamed Institutional Research Review Committee (IRRC) was created. It was composed of four (4) bodies namely: Statistical Consultation Board, Instrumentation Consultants, Ethics Monitoring Board and Editorial Board. In 2013, these bodies were renamed Editorial Consultation Committee, Instrumentation Committee, Ethics Monitoring Committee and Statistics Consultation Committee. They served to review faculty researches and provide consultation services to employees of the University of Baguio relative to research concerns. In 2015, the IRRC was restructured to streamline the research process. The functions of the Editorial Consultation Committee, Instrumentation Committee and Statistics Consultation Committee were fused, giving rise to the Institutional Research Committee (IRC). The Ethics Monitoring Committee became the Institutional Ethics Review Committee (IERC). These two groups comprise the University Research Board.

In 2006, the UB R&DC was awarded third place (CAR) in the search for 2006 Best CHED HEI Research Program.

The University of Baguio (UB) has consistently demonstrated excellence in research, as evidenced by its recognition from the Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR). On January 20, 2023, at Bontoc, Mountain Province, UB was awarded under the Research Publication Capacity Building of the Academy for Higher Education Faculty Members’ Advancement and Development (AHEAD) Cordillera Program for having the highest number of international research publications and researchers for 2022. This achievement was a result of the Kabadang 3.0, Cardinals Edition, led by Dr. Isagani A. Paddit, Director of the Research and Development Center (R&DC).

In line with UB’s commitment to innovation and community engagement, the R&DC underwent a significant transformation in 2023, evolving into the Research Innovation Extension and Community Outreach (RIECO) office. This transition marked a strategic expansion of UB’s research endeavors, now encompassing broader initiatives in innovation, extension, and community outreach. This transition was spearheaded by Dr. Donnavila Marie B. Panday, further strengthening the university’s dedication to research, extension, and outreach initiatives.