UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT

South Asia
programmes recognize the graduates of other signatory
bodies as having met the academic requirements for entry
into the engineering profession. This recognition offers future
Sri Lankan and Indian engineers easy mobility throughout the
signatory countries. 11
Sri Lanka’s first STI policy
Sri Lanka’s first comprehensive National Science and
Technology Policy was adopted in June 2009, following
a thorough consultative process with all stakeholders,
as outlined in the UNESCO Science Report 2010. These
consultations identified the need to develop a science and
innovation culture, build human resource capabilities and
promote R&D and technology transfer. Participants also felt
that the policy should foster sustainability and indigenous
knowledge, propose a defined system of intellectual property
rights and promote the application of science and technology
for human welfare, disaster management, adaptation to
climate change, law enforcement and defence.
Under the objective of ‘Enhancing Science and Technology
Capability for National Development’, the policy identifies
strategies for increasing ‘ the state sector investment in science
and technology to 1% of GDP by 2016 and facilitating the
non-state sector investment in R&D to at least 0.5% of the GDP
by 2016.’ This is an ambitious target, since the government
devoted just 0.09% of GDP to GERD in 2010 and the business
enterprise sector (public and private) a further 0.07%.
Approved by the Cabinet in 2010, the National Science,
Technology and Innovation Strategy (2011–2015) serves
as the roadmap for implementing the National Science
and Technology Policy. The body responsible for piloting
the strategy, the Co-ordinating Secretariat for Science,
Technology and Innovation (COSTI), was set up for this
purpose in 2013. COSTI is currently preparing an evaluation of
the national research and innovation ecosystem.
The National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy
(2011–2015) identifies four broad goals:
n Harness innovation and technology to economic
development through focused R&D and dynamic
technology transfer to increase the share of high-tech
products for export and the domestic market; the main
target of the Advanced Technology Initiative is to raise the
share of high-tech products among exports from 1.5% in
2010 to 10% by 2015;
n Develop a world-class national research and innovation
ecosystem;
n Establish an effective framework to prepare the population
of Sri Lanka for a knowledge society; and
n Ensure that the sustainability principle is entrenched in all
spheres of scientific activity to ensure socio-economic and
environmental sustainability.
A better quality of life through R&D
Adopted in July 2014, the National Investment Framework for
Research and Development for 2015–2020 identifies ten focus
areas for investment in R&D to improve the quality of life.
Relevant government ministries and other public and private
institutions were asked to take part in the study, in order to
recommend national R&D priorities.
The ten focus areas are:
n Water;
n Food, nutrition and agriculture;
n Health;
n Shelter;
n Energy;
n Textile industry;
n Environment;
n Mineral resources;
n Software industry and knowledge services;
n Basic sciences, emerging technologies and indigenous
knowledge.
Nanotechnology a priority
Development of the industrial sector has accelerated since
the Cabinet approved 12 the National Biotechnology Policy in
2010 and the National Nanotechnology Policy in 2012.
Nanotechnology got its first institutional boost in 2006
with the launch of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.
Two years later, the government established the Sri Lanka
Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) in an unprecedented
joint venture with the private sector (Box 21.7). In 2013, the
Nanotechnology and Science Park opened, along with the
Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence, which provides high
quality infrastructure for nanotechnology research. In 2013,
Sri Lanka ranked 83rd for the number of nano-articles in the
Web of Science per million inhabitants (Figure 21.8). It trails
Pakistan (74th), India (65th) and Iran (27th) for this indicator
(for India and Iran, see Figure 15.5).
Chapter 21
11. Among the other signatories are Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Rep. Korea,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and USA.
See: www.iesl.lk
12. A third sectorial policy on human genetic material and data was still in draft
form at the time of writing in mid-2015.
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