E.M.A. AKILA EKANAYAKE
Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering
(Final Year)
References
The World Bank. (2016). Sri Lanka.
[Online].
Available at : http://data.worldbank.org/
[Accessed on July 16th, 2016]
Sri Lanka Exports • Source: www.tradingeconomics.com , Central Bank of Sri Lanka
to this problem, skilled professionals are
engineering and technology can and often
migrating to developed countries. This is
are used interchangeably. The real goal of
commonly known as “brain drain”. Mainly
science is the pursuit of knowledge for its
it is due to the fact that local market not
own sake while the goal of technology
being able to provide enough challenging,
and engineering is to create products that
exciting engineering works and salaries
solve problems and improve human life.
and other facilities to justify their skills.
Simply, technology and engineering are
It has never been a problem of talent
the practical applications of science. In
of people in this island but a prob-
the context of economy, practical appli-
lem of a platform to generate opportuni-
cation of science which is actually prod-
ties. There are examples of successful Sri
uct design engineering has the strongest
Lankan high-tech companies which have
potential of generating an income.
performed up to the global standards.
Countries with high-income economies
So the economic policies should be
except for the ones with abundant natural
focused on technologies, more than sci-
resources like petroleum, all have a com-
ences. The government needs to back
mon feature. That is they have Product
high-tech exports manufacturing indus-
Design Engineering and Manufacturing
tries. Mostly these companies will use
industries to produce high-tech products.
established technologies and processes,
Product Design Engineering can create
so there are only cost and time risks
high-tech exports if properly implement-
and for further improvements, R&D sec-
ed. Most of the times existing technolo-
tions can be implemented. These policy
gies are used to design followed by a
changes and the emergence of high-tech
large scale manufacturing. It is a process
exporting companies will attract investors
which involves different stages; design-
all around the world. As a result challeng-
ing, certifying and building. Designing a
ing and high paying jobs will be available
product that can be marketed and sold
for Sri Lankans.
in large numbers is a challenging, yet an
interesting task. Also, it will cost time and
It is clear that there needs to be a boost in
a lot of money for prototyping. Once the
high-tech exports in order to develop the
designing phase is over, companies can
economy. Although sectors like tourism
license their certified product designs to
and traditional exports are preferred more
be manufactured.
in Sri Lanka, rapid and dynamic growth
will only come from focusing on high-
Science is not based on earning an
tech exports. This approach, if established
income, but on discovering knowledge
without delay, can transform our country
which is vital for the development of the
and the economy forward into the country
human civilization. The words science,
that we want it to be.
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