COSTI - National Level Innovation and Intellectual Property Policy Conference - National Level Innovation and Intellectual Property Policy Conference

National Level Innovation and Intellectual Property Policy Conference

National Level Innovation and Intellectual Property Policy Conference

Organized by:

National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka (NIPO)

Ministry of Industry and Commerce

In Corporation with:

Coordinating Secretariat for Science Technology and Innovation (COSTI)

Ministry of Science Technology and Research

With Assistance of:

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Hilton Colombo Residencies – Colombo

14th of June 2016

Concept Note - Sri Lanka and its role in Global innovation

Innovation is important at all stages of development; specifically, the creation and diffusion of technologies that can play a critical role in addressing socio-economic objectives and environmental challenges. Sri Lanka’s ability to facilitate a scientific culture that encourages innovative thinking will determine the country’s ability to effectively use knowledge for growth. Although Sri Lanka has made great advances in innovations in some economic sectors, the country still lags far behind its more dynamic South Asia counterparts. If Sri Lanka wants to become progressively competitive in the innovation era, it will first and foremost, need to assign more value to the capabilities of innovation creation by facilitating to create and promote influential innovation eco-system. Well-designed policies seek to build on the opportunities for development based on the economic and social realities focusing on country’s unique resource pool be it a capital city or a remote rural area, by ensuring the needed public goods and services that are available to people and firms. The innovation system and its corresponding activities will need to be carefully facilitated by both government and the private sector. Sri Lanka needs to identify priorities, objectives and goals, and formulate policies and strategies and to reach these goals by creating an effective governance framework. In this backdrop, the national level policy conference is organized to create a dialogue among relevant actors to identify challenges and opportunities to leverage strengths while overcoming weaknesses towards creating an innovation culture and to deliver a functional innovation system.

Introduction to Conference

Introduction to the WIPO/NIPO 10 points Action Plan and the way forward for the Intellectual Property environment in Sri Lanka

Ms Geethanjali Ranawaka, Director General, NIPO

Role of innovation in Sri Lanka and respective policy plans

Prof. Sirimali Fernando, Chairperson, NSF

Keynote Address

Role of innovation in emerging countries and the state of Sri Lanka’s innovation system according to the GII

Dr Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, Senior Economist, WIPO

Panel Discussion 1: Role of innovation in Sri Lanka and effective innovation policy approaches to leverage strengths and overcome challenges

Moderator - Mr Anushka Wijesinghe

Panellists-

Dr Harsha Subasinghe, CodeGen Pvt Ltd