SL reaping benefits of digital revolution says Harin | Sunday Observer

SL reaping benefits of digital revolution says Harin

18 June, 2017
Minister Harin Fernando
Minister Harin Fernando

ICT must be a key driving force in leading Sri Lanka towards a knowledge based society and lead the country towards a sustainable economy, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, Harin Fernando said.

“The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) facilitates the creation of a dynamic ecosystem with the capacity to respond to technological advances as well as changes in the global technology industry,” the Minister said.

Offering all players in the startup ecosystem an interactive platform, ICTA annually organizes a startup conference and exhibition.

Now in its second consecutive year, ‘Disrupt Asia 2017’ features top international speakers, mentors and investors, showcasing innovative startups, propelling Sri Lanka into the entrepreneurial spotlight.

Through ICTA’s provision of training, networking sessions and promotional opportunities, support for startups to attend foreign conferences and exhibitions are also carried out. These schemes encourage young ICT entrepreneurs and help to promote and strengthen their start-up companies.

ICTA’s role to facilitate market links and networking events as well as participation in other startup events in overseas markets has also contributed to develop the local startup eco system.

“We need to nurture ideas and innovations especially in ICT entrepreneurship to bring about a significant paradigm shift to achieve sustainable economic and social development,” he added.

The Minister said, “Our Government has a forward-looking vision to build a fully integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem to compete regionally.”

For the first time, Sri Lanka made an appearance in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2017 - a useful benchmark to analyse and compare our country‘s standing against how the rest of the world is doing.

The Agency’s ongoing Spiralation Seed Funding program which provides seed funding for promising startups has shown impressive outcomes with about 86% of the beneficiary companies being able to continue business without any disruption. 

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