It felt like walking into a monastery; the mind is calmed by the tranquil view. One can wonder how a dark wasteland filled with crumbling British-era buildings and the wreckage of battered train carriages became a place of technological innovation.
This is where the future of Sri Lanka is being built. The country’s intellectual centre, which is not only already full of great potential, but a precious nexus that has planted the shape of the future Sri Lanka according to the powerful ideas of people with big minds. I can see the Elphinstone Theatre in front of me, adjacent is the Maradana Railway Yard as I take in the view from TRACE Expert City (TEC) in Maradana, Colombo.
Spanning the campus is a mixed-use building class consisting of gridded open spaces. It was designed by Thisara Thanapathy, one of Sri Lanka’s the most talented next-generation architects. This large-scale architectural and urban planning project was developed in 2013. It is in the huge but dilapidated old warehouse buildings of the old Tripoli market, which was established during British rule. Architecturally preserved and reconstructed, the ingenious design lends weight to the venerable knowledge generated in these grounds.
What is TRACE?
TRACE is a centre where high-tech knowledge is developed to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, created for the future of Sri Lanka by a group of altruistic intellectuals. Operation TRACE is to bring back the ‘Lankan dignity’ of the advanced technocrats of the past. Planning Sri Lanka’s place in the future technological world, TRACE exists as a non-profit organisation.
I spoke to Heminda and Manodya, young intellectuals who are committed to putting into practice the deep conceptual meanings of TRACE. Heminda Jayaweera is the Vice President of TRACE and Manodaya Nabadewawa is the Executive Officer of Technology Innovation and Coordination.
The five letters ‘TRACE’ stand for Technologically Re-Awakening Culture of Excellence. Simply put the idea of a technologically resurgent culture of excellence.
Our Vision is to take Sri Lanka to the top of the value chain through technology and innovation and make Sri Lanka an innovation hub in South Asia by promoting innovation, positioning in the global economy and enhancing careers. TRACE Expert City (TEC) is a spatial gathering of scientists, academics and artists engaged in creative enterprises.
We facilitate innovation, growth and collaboration by creating an environment to power high performance and proprietary technology invented and created in Sri Lanka for the world. Dr. Harsha Subasinghe, Ranjith Rubasinghe, Kusal Subasinghe, Dr. Ajith Pasquale, Mano Sekaram, Dr. Prasad Samarasinghe, Mangala Karunaratne, Sphen Jochyachim, Kushan Kodithuvukku, Thisara Thanadhipathi and Dr. Sankalpa Gamwarige are not building TRACE to just make money. In the technologically advanced world, we need to develop entrepreneurship through innovations that can take our share.
TRACE Expert City (TEC) is spread over one hundred thousand square feet. There are 12 institutions at Trace. Among them there are several institutions that have carved out their own space in the world of technology. “If we take these few institutions that Heminda says, how powerfully they have launched their operations in the world. I wonder what we know about this country, what apathy we have towards the country.
The Vega EVX super electric vehicle is being developed at Trace. Vega Innovations is South Asia’s first super smart car maker, producing an upgraded battery powered sport utility vehicle with Tesla technology. It is on this ground that a planned advance is being made, providing the basic knowledge to create the workforce required to develop the product as an industry.
Research to power the AI Grow concept is also taking place on this ground. Fully automated farming through artificial intelligence, managing the natural ecosystem in a hydroponic greenhouse, tells a great story about the use of technology for optimal agriculture in the future world.
Cloud Smart School is a technological approach designed to solve all educational problems. It empowers students to solve problems creatively and internally and facilitates Just-in-Time (JIT) based education. It is also home to the headquarters of ChargeNet, Sri Lanka’s comprehensive network of smart charging networks for electric vehicles. Maintenance and development of smart vehicles, provision of value added services is done under this.
CodeGen, a leading Sri Lankan company in the field of information communication, is located here. CodeGen is a highly creative generation inspired software company with multidisciplinary expertise entering emerging markets to deliver high performance technology solutions.
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) is also located on TRACE grounds. LSEG is a company that enables a global business economy by providing infrastructure and data management access to a diversified global financial market.
Calcey is a boutique software engineering company based in California. A company is recognised worldwide as experts in developing software and digital products for entrepreneurs worldwide.
The Orel Corporation puts visions of empowering humanity into practice and is leading to a brighter, cleaner and smarter future. With a strong focus on water management, they are engaged in a series of research on water purification with smart technology.
Nagarro is a global leader in digital engineering. Once a month, Nagarro also conducts a spiritual retreat for the community at TRACE Expert City (TEC) that provides a complete mental detox and relieves the stress of a creative entrepreneur.
Good Life X (GLX) is an enabler of conscious entrepreneurship. A technology consulting firm that works with start-ups and SMEs to foster economic and social prosperity globally. The SLT Mobitel Innovation Centre is located on this floor. It promotes and improves research related to communication technology.
Magicbit is another innovative company that has joined this space. A company that designs ed-tech solutions in the innovation space. It develops innovative educational tools such as hardware, software, mobile applications to promote innovation with technology for students in 38 countries.
SLTC is located here. SLTC is currently Sri Lanka’s premier private university of technology producing creative professionals with a future world mindset for research and innovation.
Heminda and Manodya tell us more about TRACE:
“There is another big work going on inside. There are many organisations that have come to MoUs and conduct programs on weekends to develop the minds and abilities of children and adults. Children from the age of three come here on weekends to learn robotics. There are workshops for drone technology.
The goal is to increase the creative thinking of young children. Let me tell you the most important thing here. 2,500 workforce associated with TRACE. The annual amount of foreign exchange they bring to this country is 110 million dollars.
Approximately 10 percent of foreign exchange in the country’s information technology sector is tracked by specialist agencies with TRACE.
2,500 workers bring in 110 million dollars, which means that one person generates forty thousand dollars annually. This is close to the American standard of living. There are people here who get paid in dollars. Those who work in Sri Lanka but get paid from Europe”
This is what needs to be promoted in Sri Lanka. The Government, the private sector and the university system must unite to turn these innovations into practical economic power. We have done it within this territory. Through regional centres, they are trying to replace that model in the country by involving the university system. What is happening now is the social empowerment of replacing this model in the country by connecting with university systems including Wayamba University, Uva University, Eastern University, Jaffna University, Ruhuna University, Peradeniya University and building regional technological innovation centres.
We work closely with the Information and Communication Agency (ICTA), National Innovation Agency (NIA), National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA), Sri Lanka Software Service Companies Association (SLASSCOM), Federation of Information Technology Industries of Sri Lanka (FITIS), Export Development Board (EDB) and the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE).
A workforce equipped with knowledge for the future is created here. To build the Vega car and maintain it as an industry, there needs to be a trained workforce. That workforce is being created here. Every day, 60 to 70 young people are trained in technology similar to Tesla’s industrial technology in the field of intelligent vehicles in Vega technical institutes. With this training, they can go out into the world. Go and equip yourself with that knowledge. Even if there is a certain percentage of this labour force the day we start an industry, it will be enough for the country.
This is a long-term systematic program. But we can. Every government, every political authority are involved in this program with great admiration. There are few professionals with us who think that it is the responsibility of the nation to do this regardless of who does it. Heminda and Manodya said.
This concept was planted by just six TRACE corporate staffers. They communicate this vision to the country, found partners, coordinated and managed the facilities of TRACE Expert City.
“No matter what they say, we will make Sri Lanka a developed country in 10 years”
Smart Vehicles made in Sri Lanka by Vega
