Smart Society Congress, showcases local talent - ICTA CEO

The e-Swabhimani Smart Society Congress 2014 was a platform for e-Swabhimani finalists to showcase their e-content and application innovations, ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura told the e-Swabhimani Smart Society Congress 2014 in Colombo last week.

He said that work on e-Content and applications was progressing well.

The Smart Society Congress had a historical significance as the very first Congress. Dewapura traced the history of e-Swabhimani and showed its link with the UN-based World Summit Awards.

Excerpts from his speech.

"This year we expanded events and activities, to provide a platform for the finalists and potential winners of the e-Swabhimani awards, to showcase products to a wider audience.

This is an opportunity which is normally not possible at the short and more formal award ceremony. Hence the reason for hosting a one-day congress.

The series of activities leading up to the e-Swhabimani, of which this congress is a significant component, are important steps in our road map to take the benefits of ICT to all citizens. We believe that it has also been the catalyst for the growth of the e-Content industry.

It is the government's policy to recognise and give prominence to local talent, skills and innovations. It is for this purpose that ICTA conceptualised and launched e-Swhabimani in 2009.

This was an opportunity for local talent, and local skills, to come-up with innovative and pioneering digital content, for the benefit local audiences, especially rural communities.

Each year applications and responses have grown significantly and we have been overwhelmed by them.

The rise in the quality of the applications over the years, has been remarkable.

This is a clear indication that the need for local digital content is now widely recognised, and the latent innovative talents of the local developers of 'quality e-content', are rapidly coming to the fore.

As in previous years we will submit the winning products of this national contest to the World Summit Awards, which is held along the same lines, albeit with competition from across the globe.

There have been winners from Sri Lanka in each of the World Summit Award events, performing well above the competition in the region, and sometimes even better than the competition in the rest of the world."