Sri Lankas march toward emerging sciences: A

rugged road but not impossible to tread

Minister Susil Premajayantha speaking at the biotech degree launch
Northumbria Universitys biotechnology degree in Sri Lanka

Monday, 21 August 2017

At a recent event at which the UK-based Northumbria Universitys BSc Honours

Degree in biotechnology was launched in Sri Lanka, Minister of Science,
Technology and Research Susil Premajayantha outlined the plan of his Ministry to
take Sri Lanka toward emerging sciences, also known as emerging technologies.

A minister losing opportunity in science career due to a shortfall of few marks

To sum up problems faced by Sri Lankan students, he brought out an example
from his own life. He had studied in the science stream for the Advanced Level
Examination with the hope of joining a state sector medical school in Sri Lanka.
However, he was short of a few marks to have his dream fulfilled. Instead, he had
been offered a place in a science faculty to study a traditional science degree in
biosciences.

It was not interesting enough for him to pursue an academic career in

that field, since everyone who had done such degrees had ended up not as
scientists but as teachers. Hence, he had chosen banking which offered a lucrative
career and acquired professional qualifications in the field. Then, he had gone for
law, management and finally into politics.

Students should have choice for emerging sciences

The point he stressed was that if there were interesting sub branches of science
like biotechnology, biomedical science or nanotechnology at that time, his career
development would have been different. The country should put a stop to that
sad destiny today by giving students the option of learning, and not studying he
stressed, these emerging sciences at schools, universities and postgraduate
institutions.
Plan education for the future
What Minister Premajayantha had emphasised was the need for Sri Lanka to plan
for the future. Unfortunately, Sri Lankas track record in that area has been far
from desired. But countries that would plan their educational goals in terms of
future developments in sciences will prosper in wealth and be masters of the
world. One such country in the region has been Singapore.
Singapores planning in advance
At the dawn of the new millennium, Singapore issued instructions to all
universities and higher learning institutions that they should concentrate in four
fields of discipline in the new millennium. These fields were information and
communication technology, nanotechnology, genetic science and engineering and
entertainment.

This was because, according to Singapores assessment, the future would belong
to nations that would master in these fields. At that time, it was only the Western
countries like USA, UK and Germany that had made significant strides in these
fields. Based on their achievements, certainly, they would be the future masters
of the world. Singapore wanted to jump the bandwagon of these countries and be
an ally of the future masters of the world.

Thus, as a strategy, it encouraged its universities to get linked up with the best
foreign universities, allocated handsome research grants and overhauled the
general education to produce future scientists through the school system.
Spectacular achievements by Singapore
The result has been overwhelming. All international tests relating to the
performance of students at schools have lifted Singapore to the highest position
in the world. For instance, the Programme for International Student Assessment,
known as PISA test, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development or OECD in every three year period has ranked Singapore at the top
place in the world in 2015, the latest year for which the test results are available
(available at: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf).
Topping the PISA test
This test is conducted by OECD to assess the performance of the 15 year old
students at schools in 72 selected countries on science, math and reading.
Singapore has improved its position over the average of OECD countries since
2006 at a stable level. Sri Lanka is not tested under PISA and therefore does not
know the standard of its students.

To overcome this deficiency, Minister Premajayantha is planning to add Sri Lanka

too to the list of countries being tested. This is a laudable initiative. That is
because it would enable Sri Lanka to know where it stands today. Such a
comparative knowledge is essential for it to make appropriate plans to improve
itself. Since the next testing will be in 2018, Sri Lanka has to wait one more year to
know of its position.
Emerging technologies are ever changing
Since Singapore concentrated on four key emerging technologies in 1999, the list
of such technologies has changed and expanded year after year. The Davos based
World Economic Forum or WEF has been preparing updating this list every year in
collaboration with Scientific American, a journal dedicated to disseminate
scientific breakthroughs worldwide.

The list is based on the ranking done by WEFs members as important

technological breakthroughs affecting human life in the future. Since it is a
changing world, the challenge for a country like Sri Lanka with a very low scientific
base is to catch up with the rapid change in the goal post. Hence, it will be an
achievement for Sri Lanka if it could join at least the tail end of the emerging
technological changes.
List of emerging technologies in 2016
WEF has identified the 10 most important breakthroughs in the world in 2016
(available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/top-10-emerging-
technologies-2016/). Says WEF in its report: One of the criteria used by council
members during their deliberations was the likelihood that 2016 represents a
tipping point in the deployment of each technology. Thus, the list includes some
technologies that have been known for a number of years, but are only now
reaching a level of maturity where their impact can be meaningfully felt.

The list pertaining to 2016 is as follows.

Nanosensors and Internet of Nanothings
1.Nanosensors and the Internet of Nanothings: At present, the uploading and
downloading internet speed is constrained by the fourth generation or 4G
technology with a maximum speed of 100 megabits per second. The world is now
moving toward the fifth generation technology or 5G that would increase the
speed to an unimaginable level of about 5 gigabits per second. 5G technology will
bring another breakthrough revolution in technology now known as Internet of
Things or IoT, a term coined by Kevin Ashton, a British born technology pioneer.
IoT will enable machines to talk to machines and operate them from a distance,
called tele-operation. For instance, in the future, a person going to office can
instruct his car to go back to home and remain in the garage until he calls it to
come in the evening to pick him up from office. This requires using sensors of very
small size or nanosensors which can, for instance, travel through the veins of a
human being and repair a damaged artery. It gives rise to another breakthrough
technology called Internet of Nanothings or IoN, small nano-sized machines
operated through the internet. This is a leading technology that is coming up now
according to WEF.
New generation batteries
2.Next generation batteries: Batteries can store electricity for later use and they
come in handy when it comes to designing, for example, fully electricity-driven
vehicles. The low storage capacity in present day batteries is one of the problems
faced by engineers in promoting the use of renewable energy. Another
breakthrough revolution will take place when new batteries are designed using
sodium, aluminium and zinc that can function as mini power grids.
Use blockchain technology
3.The blockchain: The blockchain was designed when the digital currency Bitcoin
was introduced in order to record the transactions as a continuous large ledger
sheet. It can be seen by everyone and operated by everyone at the same time.
This technology has now enabled governments and markets to improve their
service provision to citizens or customers.
New two-dimensional or 2D materials
4.2D materials: These are single layer materials consisting of a single layer of
atoms. The best example is graphene, derived from graphite. Many such 2D
materials have now been discovered and they are being used for harvesting solar
energy, making semiconductors and electrodes and purifying water.
Driverless vehicles
5.Autonomous vehicles: The world is now moving toward driverless vehicles
which have drawn on the emerging technologies like Internet of Things,
Nanosensors, Internet of Nanothings and long-lasting batteries that are described
above. It is just a matter of time when all nations will legalise their use. Once
universally introduced, they will certainly improve the living conditions of people,
especially the old who could move about freely without depending on living
drivers.
Nano-sized human organs
6.Organs on chips: These are miniature models of human organs that are about
the size of memory sticks. They will help researchers to understand the biological
mechanisms of organs in ways that had not been discovered earlier and help
them decide on individual based treatment procedures.
New solar cells
7.Perovskite solar cells: The photovoltaic cells that are used for harvesting solar
energy have traditionally used silicon cells which are expensive to make. Instead,
the use of perovskite structures, named after the Russian Mineralogist L A
Perovski, have the advantage of being able to make easily, use anywhere and
store electricity more efficiently. Hence, they have today revolutionised the use of
renewable energies in the world and represent the future of solar technology.
Digital Assistants through AI
8.Open Artificial Intelligence or AI Ecosystem: Human brain is a wonderful
creation but it has its own limitations such as inability to concentrate and focus
due to personal, social and cultural leanings. Hence, artificial intelligence has been
pursued by scientists with dedication. Presently, there is no machine which can
perform with the same efficiency as human brain. But the invention of such
machines will be a major technology breakthrough in the future. Those machines,
called digital assistants, will perform many tasks which humans are presently
doing. The banking sector would be the biggest beneficiary.
Combination of genes with light
9.Optogenetics: Arising from genetic research, it is a method by which genetic
engineering and lights are used to control behaviour of cells. This is a
breakthrough technology that enables researchers to map the brain and other
organs of living beings. This will pave the path for developing individual specific
medical treatment of diseases in people taking into account their personal
differences.
Microbes factories
10.Systems metabolic engineering: Chemical inputs are used in industry and in
treating patients. However, now attention has been paid to produce chemicals by
using biological ingredients. In this process, microbes come in handy because they
are environmental friendly and cost effective. They could be brewed in large
bioreactors that contain living microorganisms. It comes under systems metabolic
engineering, a discipline by which biochemistry of microbes are changed in a
small way to produce useful chemicals. It will feed industry, specifically the
pharmaceutical industry. This technology is on its way now to compete with
synthetic chemicals.
Sri Lanka at a crossroads
Sri Lanka is now at a crossroads. It aspires to become a developed nation within a
single generation. However, to attain that goal, it has to maintain a minimum
growth rate of 7% over the next 30 year period. The secret to attain such a high
growth rate is the use of complex technology in production processes instead of
simple technology it presently uses. This was highlighted by this writer in a
previous article in this series (available at: http://www.ft.lk/article/481485/Part-
5--Social-Market-Economy-%E2%80%93-Go-for-complex-production-system--
facilitate-entrepreneurship). This article argued that Sri Lanka should increase its
research and development expenditure and connect such research findings to
commercial production by entrepreneurs.
SLINTEC to lead the way
Minister Premajayantha highlighted a number of measures taken by his ministry
along with other relevant ministries to attain this goal. A techno city is being
developed in Pitipana, Homagama as a part of the ongoing Megapolis Project
around the existing Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology or SLINTEC

This research outfit, set up in 2008, is a unique public private partnership

whereby Sri Lankas mega companies have joined hand with the government to
use nanotechnology for production, attain higher value added in exports and lay
foundation for creating a critical pool of scientists in the country.

SLINTEC has invested a massive amount of money, about Rs 1 billion, to equip

itself with state of the arts modern precision equipment that could measure at
nano levels both two dimensional and three dimensional materials.

It has synthesised an efficient method of extracting graphene from Sri Lankas

high quality graphite. The role nanotechnology and SLINTEC in promoting that
emerging technology was discussed by this writer in a previous article in this
series (available at: http://www.ft.lk/article/348176/Sri-Lanka-can--leap-frog--
into-the-future-through-Nanotechnology). The article argued that while SLINTEC
should come up with inventions, they should be commercialised through what
Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter said in early part of the 20th
century, innovation.
SLINTEC should now go global
Minister Premajayantha, taking pride in SLINTEC, said that it is a true public
private partnership with both Chairman and CEO coming from the private sector.

Its CEO, Harin de Silva Wijeyratne, says that its objective has been to increase the
number of private companies to at least to 15 by 2018, up from present 6. The
reason is that its built-in investment in both equipment and researchers is, at
present, underutilised.

This is an ambitious target. Unless SLINTEC goes global, attracting companies in

the first instance from the region, it would not be possible for it to rope in 9 more
companies only from within Sri Lanka.
SLINTEC Academy
However, it has another project to effectively put its inbuilt infrastructure to
productive use. That is to set up a postgraduate institution called SLINTEC
Academy and offer Masters and doctorate degrees in nanotechnology and
related fields using its technical infrastructure and research capability.

Its Vice Chancellor designate Veranja Karunaratne, a professor at the University of

Peradeniya says that it would produce a critical pool of researchers in Sri Lanka
for engagement in universities and other research institutions through this
academy. Such a pool is a must if Sri Lanka is to become a high-tech nation.

SLINTEC has been gifted by China a pilot Agroponics and Hydroponics green
house. It is presently underutilised but it provides a good opportunity for any
agriculture based private enterprise to produce value added agricultural products
to cater to the local tourism industry and for exports.
Biotechnology laboratory
In addition, there will be a special biotechnology laboratory in the National
Science Park to be established in the Techno City. To make it a success, three
leading universities, namely, the Universities of Colombo, Moratuwa and Sri
Jayewardenepura, will establish their research outfits there supported by leading
techno companies in Sri Lanka.

However, an important requirement, as this writer had argued in a subsequent

article (available at: http://www.ft.lk/article/569655/Techno-City-is-the-first-step-
in-the-right-direction-but-there-is-much-more-to-be-done-to-attain-the-final-
goal) has been that these universities should conduct research which the market
demands and which would take Sri Lanka to the future. This is a must and the
Minister should ensure that it would happen.
Pursue the goal of making Sri Lanka scientific dedicatedly
So, Sri Lanka is now planning to move to a new era with a critical pool of scientists
well versed in emerging sciences. It is difficult but not impossible. Its results too
cannot be harnessed overnight and will take a long time. Even countries like
Singapore and South Korea had taken more than 30 years to convert the
respective nations to high tech nations. Thus, Sri Lanka cannot create miracles
overnight. But, Sri Lanka should pursue this goal with dedication and commitment
until the intended goal is attained.

(W.A. Wijewardena, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka,
can be reached at waw1949@gmail.com.)
Posted by Thavam