The Hon. Ravindra Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I hope to speak today on science and technology. There is a saying, “A nation that does not create new things will perish”—a thought of Kumaratunga Munidasa. Under the theme “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life”, our policy statement emphasizes research and development.

¶ 02 First, on the science and technology sector: A colleague earlier raised an issue and I responded then. Hon. Dilith Jayaweera said in the Budget Speech that only small items are included and that only Rs. 1,000 million is allocated for new entrepreneurs. That Speech states the proposal to allocate Rs. 1,000 million to establish an Innovation and New Products Fund—but that is not the entirety.

¶ 03 I believe this is the largest allocation to research in our history—Rs. 20.9 billion for research and development, with detailed breakdowns. Previously, R&D spending was about 0.12 per cent of GDP, while Japan spends 3.6 per cent, South Korea 4.6 per cent and even Thailand about 1.2 per cent. Like education, where we aim to move towards 6 per cent of GDP step by step, we will also move step by step towards higher R&D targets—this Budget signals that.

¶ 04 On innovation, key institutions include the NSF and NRC, which provide grants for research and for PhDs and MPhils; these should be increased. There were concerns about irregularities, concentration among a few and overlaps; we discussed these in the Ministry’s Advisory Committee and have plans.

¶ 05 Research requires expensive equipment; sometimes the same equipment is provided to multiple institutions. We must rationalize and consider establishing a central research facility in Colombo with equipment and trained technologists and academics, accessible to researchers from Jaffna to Badulla and the South.

¶ 06 We should also assess how much past research has been commercialized and its impact on the country. In agriculture, for example, pepper yields sometimes take a year but now in many places 1.5 to 2 years; research should identify faster-yielding varieties, disease-resistant strains suitable for each area, and address wildlife damage (elephants, porcupines, monkeys) with tools already researched but not scaled. We should review past research for effectiveness and commercialization, identify barriers and address them. Meanwhile, tourism arrivals and export earnings are rising; we are moving forward on many fronts.

¶ 07 Some talk of two-thirds; in the recent election we obtained 24 out of 25—a strong mandate under which we move forward.

¶ 08 On patents, in 2020 there were 272 patents (223 non-resident); 2021 – 194; 2022 – 190; 2023 – 199; 2024 – 187 (147 non-resident). We must help patent holders commercialize.

¶ 09 On solar power, many spoke of smart grids and smart meters—we must research and introduce them, control rooftop solar from control rooms, and strive to manufacture panels locally, applying AI to address variability such as cloud cover. In transport, use AI for traffic light systems; in human-elephant conflict, in housing—use compacted soil blocks to save cement. Such research exists; the State must support scaling. Provide more grants, assess with h-index and rankings, and focus on outcomes. We could have domestically produced antigens; that is entrepreneurship and innovation. We must inculcate creativity in children—beyond rote learning—to build a productive economy and drive a true system change. Many ideas have been presented; time is short, so I will not go into digitalization further. That is where we will direct our strength. Thank you.