Sri Lankan government set to aggressively venture into industrial sector with Tech City Development programme
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development is in the process of revolutionizing the country’s industrial sector with its proposed Tech City and Science and Technology Cities in Malabe and Homagama, which would integrate and involve all stakeholders locally and internationally, from the public and private sectors.
Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawake has expressed his commitment to implement the Tech City Development programme.
The Minister has been quoted as saying, “Sri Lankans will now have to change the slogan of ‘Api yanne Koi pare, Marx Lenin giyapare’ to ‘Api yanne Koi pare, Mark Zuckerberg giyapare’.”
Sri Lanka should step into the 4th Industrial Revolution building on the third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century, Ranawaka has been quoted as saying in the local media.
According to local media reports, improving and introducing the IT based information access and service providing network have the potential to increasing the efficiency of the entire system of the country.
The Tech City Project consists of four geographic development centres, or clusters at Malabe/Korathota for Hi-Tech, Meegoda for Electronics Development, Mahenwatta/Pitipana for Research, Development and Tertiary Education and Diyagama for Leisure and Recreation.
The Science and Technology City (STC) comprises mainly the knowledge services and research based education and training.
Special infrastructure required for such services is expected to be provided throughout this zone.
The Business Times has reported that the Arthur C. Clarke Centre now at Moratuwa will be shifted to a 120-acre land in Horgollawatte in Homagama. This centre is now planning to launch nano satellite and its receiving centre will be built in this area.
This will enable to release all meteorology and climate condition reports and carry out GIS mapping etc.
Knowledge Services sector which encompasses IT software development, Knowledge Process Outsourcing/Business Process Outsourcing industry, Nano technology, bio technology, Geographic Information Systems and Data Centres, has tremendous potential to emerge as key growth sectors in Sri Lanka.
According to Ranawaka, Sri Lanka is in an ideal position to develop into a high value added research hub in the next 15 years.
OSL take:
The government of Sri Lanka has adopted a policy of promoting the country’s ICT sector. The country is planning targeting an earning of US$ 5 billion through ICT exports by 2020. The government is also engaged in promoting the concept of e-economy as well as carving out a niche for the country as a digital hub in South Asia. Given the story above and the policies of the Sri Lankan government, it is now the opportune moment to invest in the country’s ICT sector. Therefore, interested businesses/investors could explore the available opportunities in the proposed Tech City and Science and Technology City. Also, investors could look at developing the supplementary infrastructure facilities required around the two tech cities.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20181022/Z_2 |