Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the leading ICT and digital services provider in Sri Lanka, together with the University of Moratuwa, one of the leading technological universities in Sri Lanka declared open a laboratory dedicated to the research and development of Internet of Things (IoT) at the University premises. The IoT Design Innovation laboratory was declared open on Tuesday, 29th October 2019 by SLT Chairman, Mr. P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena, in the presence of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, Prof Kapila Perera and senior management of both organizations.

With the fourth industrial revolution and the resulting rapid increase in the use of smart devices today, lives have changed dramatically over the last decade. This has paved the way for the proliferation of IoTs, that have the potential to enhance lifestyles and living standards even further through the introduction of smart homes and smart cities that can lead to improved environment conservation, better healthcare, and smart infrastructure management amongst various other benefits. Today the world is such that almost anything and everything can be connected to the Internet.  In order to provide opportunities as well as create an ideal platform for creative individuals to invent new digital innovations that will help enhance living standards, SLT first introduced the Sri Lanka Internet of Things Challenge (SLIoT Challenge) back in the year 2017. While the SLIoT Challenge has become an annual competition since then, now the company has gone a step further by collaborating with the University of Moratuwa to open this latest IoT Design Innovation Lab at the University premises. 

SLT believes that this IoT Lab will play a key role in supporting the realization of a Smart Sri Lanka by providing the ideal environment where concepts pertaining to IoTs can be experimented and tried out by anyone who is innovative and creative and has knowledge and interest in IoTs and new technology. 

Speaking at the opening of the Lab, SLT Chairman Mr. P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena said, “The successful transformation of Sri Lanka into the Digital Hub in South Asia will depend on the fast adoption of new technology by citizens. Therefore, this is a very proud moment for both Sri Lanka Telecom as well as the University of Moratuwa as we launch this new IoT Design Innovation Lab, for the purpose of carrying out joint research and development with regards to IoTs. I believe that this lab will play a key role in helping to expedite the spread of IoT based applications and services across the nation, and also increase the number of IoT devices on the market in Sri Lanka. All these are in line with our national digital roadmap. We’ll support the smooth transition of Sri Lanka into a digital economy with citizens who are geared and ready to face a digital future head-on, with ready access to these smart environments.” In his address to the gathering, he also thanked the University of Moratuwa for their part in this new venture as well as their ready support and co-operation to successfully open this lab at the university premises.

Prof Kapila Perera, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa gave his comments saying, “Our University has always been in the forefront of technology. Therefore, it is truly an honour for us to partner with SLT, the leader in ICT for this project because they understand and share our vision to create a knowledge-based ICT-enabled society. This lab is open to anyone who has the necessary knowledge and creativity and we are confident that it will see the launch of many new innovative IoT projects in the coming months and years.”