New innovations essential for national development: Minister Professor Krishantha
20-Aug-2026.
The primary objective of his Ministry is to ensure that successful innovations receive due recognition, add value at the national level and contribute to the country's development. New innovations are essential for national development, Minister of Science and Technology Professor Krishantha Abeyasena said.
He made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at an event held on August 19 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall to launch two National Innovation Reports prepared for 2025 and 2026 by the National Innovation Agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Officials of the Ministry, including Acting Secretary Mahesh Gammanpila, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Rohitha Uduwawala, Chief Innovation Officer of the National Innovation Agency Dr. Muditha Senarath Yapa and several other officials and former working committee members attended the event.
The event also included the presentation of the first innovation vouchers under the Innovation Voucher Scheme implemented by the National Innovation Agency. Accordingly, financial assistance was provided to 11 selected beneficiaries, including individuals and groups. The grants were presented by the Minister of Science and Technology and the Ministry Secretary.
The innovation vouchers provide targeted assistance to help researchers and innovators overcome technological and other barriers they face on the path towards commercialisation.
Addressing the event further, the Minister said:
The National Innovation Agency serves as the principal institution responsible for strengthening and coordinating Sri Lanka's national innovation ecosystem. The agency publishes a National Innovation Report every year with the objective of providing a national-level understanding of the status, progress and impact of new innovations in Sri Lanka, while highlighting the contribution of innovation to national development.
The report provides valuable information on innovations that have been successfully commercialised or implemented during the respective years and the contributions they have made to the country and society.
More than 70 real-world cases from across the country have been included in the two reports. These are not merely ideas or instances of new innovations; they are genuine success stories of innovations that have been successfully transformed into products, services, technologies and businesses, generating revenue and adding value to the Sri Lankan economy.
New innovations are essential for national development. Through innovation, we are helping to increase productivity, create new industries and employment opportunities, strengthen public services and provide solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges.
For this, Sri Lanka needs an interconnected and integrated innovation ecosystem. Our goal is to build such a system and enable our innovations to make a stronger contribution to national development, he said.
