Science and technology could help win economic war

BY DHAMESHI YATAWARA

“Warriors of the economic development war are scientists,” said Minister of Technology and Research Professor Tissa Vitharana in an interview with the ‘Sunday Observer’. He says that Sri Lankan scientists perform excellently when they are properly directed towards research and with standard laboratories, facilities and adequate financial support contribute to industrial development. According to Prof. Vitharana in nine months research work, scientists at the SLINTEC have presented five applications for US patents. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q:What are your plans for the development of the science and technology field?

A: In the context of present development President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the next objective is to win the economic war. It is necessary that we should have a five-year strategy which would lay the foundation for economic take off. The sixth Biennial Conference on Science and Technology (BICOST-VI) was held a few weeks ago organised by the National Science and Technology Commission. The conference was to work out an action plan to implement the National Science Policy of the government.

Q: How do you plan to win the economic war through science and technology?

A: Economic development is not taking place in a vacuum specially in today’s highly competitive global market place. It is to the extent that our goods and services can oust the goods and services coming from abroad, that we can triumph in capturing local and international markets. If we fail to sell the products we manufacture our efforts will be in vain. So the whole objective is to make sure that goods and services are of good quality and are able to compete with world market prices. We produce raw material or low value added goods. For example of all our exports only 1.5 percent of manufactured goods give high value additions. All others are either raw material and low value products. In contrast, if we look at our neighbours, Thailand has 27 percent of their exports as high value goods while Singapore and Malaysia has more than 50 percent. Korea has 70 percent and Japan has more than 80 percent. In terms of investment the return is very much higher if you manufacture high value added goods using top technology.

Q: How are we to achieve this goal? Are we equipped with the technology?

A: We must make use of the waves of technology that have been sweeping the world as the other countries have profited from them. In the case of Korea around 30 - 40 years ago they caught on to micro electronics and information and communication technology and advanced material technology at a later stage. They became a heavily industrialised country. We have several Korean brands of home appliances, vehicles and a wide variety of products. Korea is getting rich.

In the 1960’s Korean per capita GDP was 84 US$ when ours was 320 US$. Last year our’s was close to 2200 US$ and Korea had risen to more than 20,000 US$. Jobs are available to Sri Lankans in Korean, as a result of Korea becoming a industrialised nation. We, as a country missed those technological waves. China and India benefited through bio-technology. The latest is Nano technology. We must catch that wave and lead in nano technology, And build industries based on nano technology which will add value to our raw material. That can be the basis for our rapid economic take off.

Q: Has the Ministry taken steps to promote the technology?

A:We have set up a nano science laboratory in Biyagama together with the private sector - The Sri Lanka Institute for Nanotechnology (SLINTEC). Scientists at SLINTEC have developed a technology to convert ilmanite in to titanium dioxide. This will add 250 times value to the ilmanite.

We have been exporting ilmanite from Pulmudai since British times. We earn only 8 million US$ at an average. From this mineral sand several products are manufactured around the world including titanium dioxide. We import titanium dioxide for our paint industry paying 12 million US$ per year.

We must get patent rights, and then develop the industry. In producing titanium dioxide we can provide jobs. The surplus can be exported to earn a greater value.

Q: You handed over an action plan for 2011 - 2015 to develop science and technology in the country. What did you suggest?

A: Capacity building in the field. This will enable us to become world-class. Our scientists have shown that we are capable. Capacity building in the science and technology field is a solid base to boost industries. Let us put more weight on this effort and develop nanotechnology.

Q: The National Science policy stresses developing a scientific culture in society. How are you going to implement this and how far can we succeed?

A: First let us identify sections of the Science and Technology Policy that are key areas contributing to economic development. President Rajapaksa has set a target of six years to increase per capita GDP. It is essential to focus on upgrading the Science and Technology fields to achieve this.

Q: What are the areas you have identified that need to be prioritised?

A: High technology areas are nanotechnology, biotechnology, mechatronics, advance material and ICT. Today we are focusing only on ICT. Let us broaden our view. ICT does not produce new techniques. It works as a quick transferring mechanism of knowledge between people. But ICT alone will not give new knowledge that would add value to our products.

That has to come from other technologies. We don’t have a single world-class laboratory in biotechnology, nanotechnology or electronics. We must enable our scientists and technologists to come up with innovations which will be the basis for industrial development. If laboratories are created, scientists who have left our shores will be attracted back.

Q: Labs and hi-tech equipment alone won’t develop technology. How would you improve the human resource - the researchers?

A: Win the economic war, warriors are scientists. They have to create a new knowledge hub. ICT will transfer this knowledge. Which must be world-class. Scientific infrastructure, new equipment, laboratory facilities and human resource must be enveloped. We need to have a strong mechanism to protect intellectual property rights. We also need to have a technology transfer mechanism- from laboratory to pilot scale and to commercial scale. These technologies should be available to support industries.

Q: Will scientists be more directed towards research on industrial innovations?

A: That’s right. There is basic and applied research. Applied research directs at innovations for products and services. For example, Korea spends 3.2 percent of the GDP on research and development. We spend 0.13 percent of the GDP. Of the 3.2 percent they spend 13 percent on basic research, 13 percent on applied research and 74 percent on developmental research. In Sri Lanka we spend only about 13 percent from our total funds on Science and Technology. We only need to increase our ratio up to one percent of the per capita GDP.

Q: How can you assure that scientists will be properly focused on research for economic development?

A:We have to develop a research culture. A research eco system. Give those people who have the innovative capacity they need to come up with results.

Money invested is to get the type of economic development that the country needs. Scientists must be active and creative visionaries coming up with new services and products.

If we are to have the best people remain here, we have to reward them for that adequately.

Q: The government has taken steps to set up hi-tech labs such as SLINTEC what results?

A: SLINTEC started functioning last August. They already have five international patent applications in the United States. The average in the past ten years was only 1.8 per year.

Q: What will be the mechanism to transfer knowledge to the industries?

A: Scientists were told that each company was allowed to do two research projects and they agreed. Industrial companies presented their research requirements. Scientists were given the direction and support right from the beginning and they have responded. Industrialists are enthusiastic with results.

We need funding to set up world-class laboratories and we need a critical mass of researchers. We must have a human resource development program supported by funding. The action plan we have presented to the President outlines these necessities.

Instead of having scattered centres for each section we can set up mega points. The nano centre, bio centre and the electronics centre will be under one shelter to share knowledge and technology.