Sri Lanka’s first Nano-Tech Park launched

Construction of Sri Lanka’s first world-class nanotechnology park was launched yesterday. The project will develop a 50 acre land in Pitipana, Homagama into a nanotechnology park.

The park will be developed in a phased manner through investments by the Government and private sector companies keen to establish them in the park. The nanotechnology park will adopt an open innovation framework based around the Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence.

The Ministry of Technology and Research together with the National science Foundation and five private sector partners have initiated this project for which land has been allocated by the government. The Ministry and the Treasury are funding a flagship Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence (NCE)which will form the epicenter of the park.

The Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology (SLINTEC) will build, operate and manage the NCE whilst developing the broader nanotechnology park with the support of the Government and like-minded private sector organizations.

The Park will hot a series of high tech labs with the latest equipment managed and operated by a highly skilled team of scientists. It will focus on research and development, incubation for taking research into commercialization and provide facilities for corporate research and business development.

The Park will also offer a wide range of essential centralized services enabling the hub and spoke concept that will drive operations across the park. Leading experts from around the globe will have tenures at the NCE and they will be available for consultation to organizations that will reside in the park, enabling them to continue to push the boundaries of innovation.

The second phase of the park will focus on expansion of research and business development for both the private and the public sectors in Sri Lanka and potential Foreign Direct Investment from multinational corporations as well as small and medium enterprises through attractive incentives, terms and conditions.

The third phase will be about expansion of advanced technology industries, institutes and expansion of centralised services. The fourth phase will provide housing and recreation for the community of the park and education facilities related to the Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence. The holistic plan is to integrate with the surrounding area and connect with the larger knowledge hub master plan for Homagama.

Foundation stones for the construction of the Park were laid yesterday by the Minister of Technology and Research Mrs. Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Senior Ministers Professor Tissa Vitharana and A.H.M.Fawzie and the Chairman of SLINTEC Mahesh Amalean. (niz).