Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 Ministry of Science Technology and Research i Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 REPORT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETY FORUM SRI LANKA 2016 07 September 2016 NELUM POKUNA MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA THEATRE 08 -10 September 2016 WATERS EDGE Ministry of Science Technology & Research 3rd Floor, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla Sri Lanka Ministry of Science Technology and Research ii Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to acknowledge Hon. Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Science Technology and Research for his vision in introducing the concept of the STS Forum to Sri Lanka and the leadership given towards executing this very productive Forum. Our sincere thanks and appreciation also goes to him for placing his trust and confidence in Team COSTI for Coordinating the Technical component of this National Forum. Special thanks are due to Hon. Lakshman Senewiratne, State Minister of Science Technology and Research, Ms. R Wijialudchumi, Secretary, Ministry of Science Technology and Research and all other staff members of the Ministry for their unstinted support in organizing the Forum, from the time of planning to the final day of the Forum. We also wish to thank most sincerely members of staff of other S&T Institutions coming under the purview of the Ministry of Science Technology and Research; the NSF, ITI, ACCIMT, SLSI, NRC, SLAB, NASTEC, NERDC, NIFS, Planetarium, SLINTEC and SLIC, who gave their fullest support and coorporation towards the organization of the Forum. We appreciate the generous support given to us by both local and expatriate Sri Lankan scientists and other foreign delegates in making this Forum a success. We would like to place on record a special ‘THANK YOU’ to, the Organizing Committee and all other Committees of the STS Forum for their immense help in planning and executing this event, Chairpersons, Keynote speakers, and Panelists for enriching the Forum with their knowledge, experience and expertise, Session Champions and Rapporteurs of various Plenary sessions and Breakout sessions for their invaluable service in managing the sessions and collating and presenting the information as “Key Messages” in the Closing Plenary and all participants from various walks of life for their invaluable contribution towards the success of the Forum . We wish to thank the event manager, TVT Global Ltd. and Hotel Hilton and Global Towers for their fullest cooperation and assistance and Waters Edge for providing an excellent venue and facilities for the organization of the event. The special performance by school bands of Devi Balika Vidyalaya and Sirimavo Bandaranayake Vidayala is very much appreciated. We would also like to thank the school children from 7 schools (Royal College, Ananda College, D.S. Senanayake College, Nalanda College, Hindu Boys College, Devi Balika Vidyalaya and Ramanadan Hindu Ladies College) who were present at the Opening Ceremony at Nelum Pokuna and the Inauguration and the Forum deliberations at Waters Edge and hope that they would benefit in the future by the wealth of new knowledge and expert opinions that emanated from the eminent scientists who participated at the Forum. Dr. M.C.N. Jayasuriya and Team COSTI, Ministry of Science Technology and Research iii Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements iii Contents iv Group photograph of participants EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETY FORUM SRI LANKA 2016 2.1. Ceremonial Opening of the FORUM 5 2.2 The Inauguration of Technical Sessions 8 2.3. Plenary Sessions 2.3.1. Plenary Session 1 – Inclusive and Sustainable Innovation 16 Ecosystems 2.3.2. Plenary Session 2 – Advance Materials, ICT and Smart 19 Transport Systems 2.3.3. Plenary Session 3 – Green and Smart Settlements 22 2.3.4. Plenary Session 4 - Machines, Materials and Human Wellbeing 24 2.4. Breakout Sessions STIs for SDGs STI Imperatives for SDGs 32 Big Data 35 Science Diplomacy 38 Governance, Planning and Foresight 41 Citizen Science Community Involvement in Science and 45 Scientific Research Informal Science Education for 21st Century 49 Using Social Media for Discussing Science Topics 52 Communicating STI 55 Innovation Eco-systems STI Skills Development 59 STI Infrastructure 62 Funding and Investment 68 Developing the Intellectual Property Eco-system 72 Ministry of Science Technology and Research iv Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 Emerging Technologies ICT and Social Innovation 78 Electronics and Robotics 82 Biotechnology 85 Space Technology 89 Nanotechnology Energy, Sustainability and Policy 95 Novel Device Physics and Engineering 99 Nano-Manufacturing and Technology 103 Nano-Scale Design for Technology 107 Nano-Materials to Devices 111 3. CLOSING PLENARY SESSION - KEY MESSAGES FROM CONCURRENT SESSIONS STI for Sustainable development Goals 114 Citizen Science 115 Innovation Eco-system 117 Emerging Technologies 117 Nanotechnology 119 4. COLOMBO RESOLUTION 121 OUR SPONSORS ANNEXES Ministry of Science Technology and Research v Smiling up to the camera – part of the Forum participants on the final day STS Forum Sri Lanka 2016 07-10 September, 2016 Waters Edge, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 is an outcome of the visit of Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Japan in November 2015, to attend and deliver the keynote address at the ‘Science and Technology in Society Forum 2015’ in Kyoto, Japan. The Forum was convened by the Ministry of Science Technology and Research and the United Kingdom – India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), in collaboration with Japan-Sri Lanka Innovation Platform (J-SLIP) coming under the purview of Prime Minister’s Office. The main objectives of the Forum were to foster excellence in Science and Technology and introduce advanced technologies to Sri Lanka’s Industries and infrastructure development programmes and integrate Sri Lankan industries into global value chain. In order to achieve the above objectives the Forum addressed five major themes closely related to Sustainable Development Goals; Science Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals, Citizen Science, Innovation Eco-system, Emerging Technologies and Nanotechnology. The ceremonial opening of the Forum took place on 7th September 2016 at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, with His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as the Chief Guest. While Hon. Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Science Technology and Research welcomed the President and participants, Prof. Michael J Kelly, Prince Philip Professor of Technology of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom delivered the keynote address. Over 1300 invitees attended the opening ceremony, amongst who were Expatriate Sri Lankan and Foreign Scientists, Foreign dignitaries, Scientists from Sri Lanka, policy makers and administrators from public and private sector institutions, industrialists, entrepreneurs and businessmen. The expatriate Sri Lankan and foreign scientists present were from United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Korea, Norway, Germany, Thailand, Russia, Greece, Cuba and France. The Scientific sessions of the STS Forum was inaugurated by Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 08 September 2016 at Waters Edge, Battaramulla. At this occasion the keynote address was delivered by Hon. Koji Omi, former Minister of Finance of Japan and Founder Chairman, STS Forum Japan. The high light of the day was the official launching of the National Biotechnology Industry Association (NBIA) by the Prime Minister Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe. The inauguration was followed by three days of plenary, key note addresses and breakout/panel discussion sessions. The Plenary sessions considered key nationally important areas closely allied to Sustainable Development Goals while five themes associated with these key areas were taken up at breakout sessions run in parallel; each theme being discussed under four sub-themes. Ministry of Science Technology and Research 1 Science and Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016 The final day of the Forum was dedicated to proposing the ‘Way Forward’ for each of the areas considered during the Plenary and breakout sessions and the adoption of the ‘Colombo Resolution’. The STS Forum Sri Lanka 2016 was a land mark event in the S&T history of Sri Lanka. It was a highly successful interaction that transpired with whole hearted and overwhelming support of the Sri Lankan expatriate and local scientific community. The Ministry of Science Technology and Research and all R&D institutes of the country have a major role to play in facilitating the necessary support platforms to ensure that recommendations arising from the Forum – The Way Forward - and those highlighted in the ‘Colombo Resolution’ are implemented for the benefit of the society. Key messages originating from presentations and subsequent discussions, both at Plenary sessions and five breakout groups, and the ‘Colombo Resolution’ are documented in this report. For details of the presentations and discussions that followed, the reader is referred