Lack of hi-tech drowns exports - Prof. Vitharana

17-Oct-2010

By Elmo Leonard

Sri Lanka’s lack of hi-tech know-how drowns her export performance, Minister of Science and Research, Prof Tissa Vitharana said last week.

Only 1.5 percent of Sri Lanka’s exports result from hi-tech application. The higher the application of high-tech, the greater, the nation’s export competitiveness will be. For Thailand the figure was 25 percent application; South Korea - 75 percent; Japan - 80 percent.

Following the World War II the United States had invested heavily in technology and in 1955 emerged the most developed nation in the world.

Prof Vitharana made these observations at the launch of the Graduate Institute of Science and Management (GISM) affiliated to the Massey University, New Zealand. The Minister welcomed the members of the professional academic staff from Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England and Australia, present in Colombo for the launch.

It was essential for GISM to promote research subjects relevant to national progress and make hi-tech the key to research, Prof Vitharana said.

The learning experience GIMS offered, will, the minister hoped, serve as a benchmark academic standard in the application of state-of-the-art development and research technologies in teaching methodologies as well as in ongoing research. “On the other side of the coin, the nation’s human resource is caught up in an exodus. The brain drain could be made a brain gain, if these people are brought back to the country where they can carry out research within its shores, for the specific needs of her people,” minister pointed out.