Our vision to make Sri Lanka technologically advanced by 2020:

Use research to win economic war

Dinesh De Alwis

Making Sri Lanka a scientifically and technologically advanced country in the region by year 2020 is the vision, Technology and Research Minister Prof Tissa Vitarana said in an interview with the Daily News. First part of this article was published on Saturday

Q: Nano Technology is a new concept. With this new technology how can Sri Lanka move forward?

A: The wave of technology that is switching the world is Nano Technology. This process where by manipulation is done by level of Nano articles that is at molecule level and by doing manipulation at that level. A new science is developed. Using this technology, the product can be made cheaper and of better quality. These will capture the market in the period ahead.

This technology is just being developed in the world. We should not miss the bus. We have missed other technology buses earlier. For instance when micro-electronics and ICT were being developed in Korea, we were a sleep. When Bio Technology emerged as a wave of technology, India and China grabbed it.

As usual we were in a deep slumber. But now we cannot miss this new wave of technology. We have to catch it. Therefore I am glad that Sri Lankan scientists who are leaders in Nano Technology informed me about the potentials. Prof Ravi Silva is one of the five leaders in Nano Technology in Britain who helped us a lot.

Our President was very supportive of taking Nano Technology forward. So we developed Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology (SLINTEC) and NANCO and setting up a New Nano Technology laboratory complex and National Nano Technology Park. Five main exporting companies in Sri Lanka are functioning with partnership with the National Science Foundation.

The advantage of doing this is, we would have one centralized place, a World Class Centre for Nano Technology. When we develop Nano Technology to that level though we have fallen back with regard to other technologies like Bio-Technology and Micro-Electronic we can catch up with the help of his technology.

I have been a research scientist and I know the problems and difficulties when doing research and coming out with new discoveries. You may get positive results within a short time or it may take years. That is the reality.

But I am happy to say that since SLINTEC started functioning in August 2009, they have been able to come out with new technologies and four of these technologies are now being patented in America. This will help us progress using this technology for the enhancement of industries.

From our Ilmanite, using Nano Technology, they have now developed the process of patent technology producing our own Titanium Dioxide. Once this is done we can start our own industries in Sri Lanka.

Q: Recently there were some problems with our Bio-diversity. What is the present situation?

A: A Task Force has been appointed and I have named the scientists. The Task Force has already met. There are a number of valuable plants which are been taken abroad for research and they come out with products. Then if we are going to produce something, we have to pay royalties to them.

This is a general problem affecting Third World countries. After I received this report, I have given them the Terms Of Reference. Based on the TOR, I will gather all related Ministries and institutions to work out a common plan of action to make sure the future of our Bio-diversity. Then we can develop industries in our country by making use of Bio-Technology to develop valuable medicine and various other herbal preferential, that we can make use for cosmetic purposes using our rich Bio-diversity. We must protect Bio-diversity for our future generations and make full use of it so that it benefits our country.

Q: How is the progress of Vidatha Resources Centres?

A: There is a big gap between cities and villages. President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched a program Gama Naguma to enable the village community to be developed. This is important because this could enable village economy to develop while providing better roads, electricity and water supply.

It does not mean the village economy is developed. But there are a lot of young people who are talented but have no employment. We should develop the human capital also.

Through the VRC we provide free computer training to youth, school leavers and those who have no way of acquiring ICT knowledge. They can now access new technologies. At the moment over 15,000 youth have been given computer knowledge and we hope to double the number of beneficiaries within this year.

There are also lot of natural raw materials and there are agricultural raw materials in the rural areas. We have been exporting our raw materials since the colonial era. We have to change this situation. We should export value added products. The Industrial Technical Institute is providing the technology to farmers and this will help our products to compete with other competitive products. Post harvesting technology should be transferred to the village level as well.

In the past five years, we have been able to set up 257 Vidatha Resources Centres (VRC), one in each Divisional Secretariat. These Centres are able to transfer the technology which was developed in Research Institutes and Universities. There are more than 300 technologies which have been developed earlier which were lying idle and not been utilized by farmers. More than 100 of these types of technologies have been facilitated by the village through the VRC. Our target is to establish 330 VRCs covering all divisional secretariats in Sri Lanka.

The Vidatha Lending Scheme is a low interest loan facility program initiated with the support of People’s Bank. This is one way of helping rural entrepreneurs out of their financial problems. Savidhana Banks are facilitating rural entrepreneurs who are facing financial difficulties. At the moment Savidhana Banks are in operation only in Kegalle district and I hope to expand this banking system to other districts too.

We have signed an agreement with the National and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) to upgrade the Computer training in VRCs. Youth can get a Computer degree.

I am happy to say, more than 6,000 entrepreneurs have been produced by the Vidatha movement. The SME sector is developing. We have collaborated with the Industrial Development Board to provide training to new entrepreneurs.

Q: What are the future plans for your Ministry?

A: In the period ahead the Ministry will focus more on scientific research and development and transfer of technologies, to ensure improved quality and productivity. This will help expand economic activities which are essential for the economic and social development of Sri Lanka. Our vision is to make Sri Lanka a scientifically and technologically advanced country in the region by the year 2020.