Lack of funding for R&D at SLINTEC

While Research and Development (R&D) is one of the key areas where Sri Lanka can showcase its knowledge and expertise to developed countries around the world, there is lack of funding in this sector. The Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) in Homagama has all the equipment and infrastructure in place, but lacks funds to cover its operating capital.

Last week SLINTEC organised an event titled ‘Beyond the Obvious’ at the Park Street Mews in Colombo to open opportunities for potential investors (both private and government) to fund R&D at SLINTEC. Experts from various industrial sectors were present at the event.

SLINTEC CEO, Harin de Silva Wijeratne on the sidelines of the event told the Business Times that there is lack of funding to cover the operating capital at SLINTEC. He said, “We don’t have the operating capital. The equipment and infrastructure are in place, but not the day-today capital. Funding is required to maintain the infrastructure.”

Staff at SLINTEC, the scientists and engineers are paid employees. They do research projects, have access to the equipment that is monitored, managed and costed. “We can’t unfortunately absorb many employees into SLINTEC because we don’t have enough funds,” he added.

Cost of R&D is high and it makes investors take a step back since there is no guaranteed return. It is a great challenge to take the risk and invest, noted Mr. Wijeratne while adding that Brandix, Dialog, Loadstar, MAS Holdings and Hayleys have partnered since the inception of SLINTEC while Lankem and LOLC partnered recently.

MAS Holdings Chairman, Mahesh Amalean in his remarks mentioned that nanotechnology has grown from strength to strength over the past 10 years since the inception of SLINTEC in 2008. He said, “Across the world companies are investing on nanotechnology and our competitors have derived through advanced technology. At MAS Holdings we have realized the depth of investing in R&D and have benefitted by SLINTEC.” Over 40 corporate institutes in Sri Lanka have benefitted by SLINTEC, he added.

He noted that 22 Sri Lankan post doctorate engineers and scientists have come back from overseas to Sri Lanka to work at the modern facilities available at SLINTEC.

SLINTEC Head of Electrical and Electronics Department, Gehan Amaratunga elaborated on projects carried out at SLINTEC and the spectrum of research at SLINTEC, covering the entire base of physical and biological sciences. “When industrial partners bring their problem, we analyse and see whether we can come up with a specific solution. The problem must have some value, which we call client based research.”

Strategic research is carried out where money is invested by the shareholders and the government in certain key areas in order to develop intellectual property which is commercialised and made available to the local and international industrial base to explore. Strategic research in broad areas of agriculture, smart textiles, minerals, natural medicines, pharma, drugs and synthetic biology is carried out at SLINTEC.

Open research in collaboration with universities is conducted where the entire research base is funded by the National Science Foundation or the National Research Council in which SLINTEC operates more like a national research lab.

Problems are solved in a focused way for clients that is relevant for developing countries. “We are not competing with the developed countries and their problems. We develop technologies locally for developing countries, but globally relevant,” noted Mr. Amaratunga.