Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB)“Serendipity Knowledge Programme (SKOP)” on the theme Innovation for Economic Transformation, held in Colombo yesterday.
The SKOP initiative is part of ADB’s broader effort to foster knowledge-sharing on key development issues in Sri Lanka, while encouraging long-term collaboration between the Government, global experts, and stakeholders to strengthen the country’s national innovation ecosystem.
Addressing the forum, Prime Minister Amarasuriya stressed that innovation is essential for overcoming Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic challenges and escaping the middle-income trap. She reiterated the Government’s commitment to creating supportive policy frameworks that facilitate collaboration with the private sector and promote innovation at all levels of the value chain.
“Although Sri Lanka has a solid foundation for innovation, there exists a significant disconnect,” she noted, highlighting Sri Lanka’s current ranking of 89th out of 113 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2024. The Prime Minister pointed to chronic underinvestment in higher education and research, with gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) at just 0.1% of GDP.
“Our Government is determined to reverse this trend,” she said. “We will increase funding for R&D and invest strategically in higher education, ensuring Sri Lanka can build a truly innovation-driven economy.”
The event was also attended by ADB Sri Lanka Resident Mission Country Director Takafumi Kadono, Prime Minister’s Secretary G. Pradeep Saputhanthri, and Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Education and Vocational Training Nalaka Kaluwewe, along with university faculty members and other officials.
