Global Entrepreneurship Week 2024: Fostering innovation and inclusivity across Sri Lanka

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024, hosted by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, was a remarkable and transformative celebration that highlighted the vital themes of innovation, inclusivity and collaboration in the entrepreneurial landscape. 

This global initiative, coordinated by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and recognised in nearly 200 countries around the world, is devoted to inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs from various walks of life. 

Under the unifying 2024 theme ‘Entrepreneurship is for Everyone’, Sri Lanka’s version of GEW showcased the nation’s strong commitment to creating a vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

For the third consecutive year, the ICTA enthusiastically took the reins as the national host for this prestigious event, successfully orchestrating an impressive range of activities in collaboration with state and non-state universities, industry leaders, start-ups and key policymakers. The week-long festival emphasised four core pillars: ecosystems, education, inclusion and policy, while also demonstrating the incredible resilience and innovation potential that exists within the Sri Lankan entrepreneurial community. 

An inspiring launch and collaborative efforts 

The festivities kicked off on November 18 with a grand opening ceremony held at the prestigious Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The launch was attended by a host of distinguished figures, including GEN Global National Ambassador for Sri Lanka Suresh de Mel and ICTA Associate Chief Digital Economy Officer Sachindra Samararatne, alongside influential industry leaders such as ICTA Board Member and Microimage Group CEO Harsha Purasinghe and Mastercard Sri Lanka and the Maldives Country Manager Sandun Hapugoda. 

A week of empowerment and innovation
Nationwide impact through Vidatha Programme 

A significant highlight of GEW 2024 was the Vidatha Programme, which was skilfully led by Additional Secretary Lakkadas and Director Manoj Karunarathna. This initiative strategically organised a variety of grassroots activities across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka to ensure broad community participation. Each district hosted at least three distinct events, which included:

Green initiatives: Programmes aimed at promoting sustainable entrepreneurship practices that are environmentally conscious and economically beneficial.

Technology transfer programmes: Workshops designed to equip entrepreneurs with modern tools and technologies essential for enhancing operational efficiency and business growth. Digital marketing workshops: Targeted training sessions that aimed to improve digital literacy and help entrepreneurs utilise online platforms to amplify their business reach and engagement.

Knowledge sharing sessions: Dynamic forums that brought together industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners, fostering an exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices. 

Vidatha also organised the ‘Digimansala’ workshop with collaboration of Dialog’s Idea Mart, which focused on providing women entrepreneurs with comprehensive insights into digital services tailored for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 

Additionally, in partnership with the ICTA, two major digital marketing programmes were conducted. These sessions were held in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kaluthara districts and attracted over 60 participants. Entrepreneurs were equipped with modern digital marketing strategies to enhance their online presence and connect with customers in a rapidly evolving digital world. To further extend its reach, Vidatha also organised several Zoom-based programmes for SMEs across Sri Lanka to improve the quality and the standard of their products. These sessions were conducted with the support of leading global organisations like SGS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Control Union Inspections (Pvt.) Ltd and Ind-Expo Certification Ltd. 

University-led initiatives and ecosystem development 

NSBM Green University launched the week with an enthusiastic event organised by its Entrepreneurship Circle in collaboration with NFORCE. 

ESOFT Metro Campus expanded its outreach by conducting impactful activities across various cities, including Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Kurunegala. These events offered hands-on training, mentorship opportunities and entrepreneurship-focused sessions under the guidance of Dr. Dayan Rajapakse, connecting students with industry insights and expertise. 

NIBM hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Forum on November 22, where esteemed keynote speakers, including Dr. D.M.A. Kulasooriya and Dr. Asoka Hettigoda shared their wisdom. Panellists such as Shiromal Cooray and Heminda Jayaweera provided valuable insights into leveraging technology and sustainable practices to achieve business success, emphasising the importance of adapting to an ever-evolving market landscape. 

Corporate and industry collaborations

The involvement of Nanosoft, Hatch, Hyperglade, GoodLife-X, Trainocate, Makers Global and SLASSCOM further enriched the ecosystem by focusing on cutting-edge technologies and digital innovation, providing valuable platforms for emerging entrepreneurs. Huawei Cloud Sri Lanka and Microsoft, which are prominent MNCs, also made significant contributions to the success of GEW 2024.

Highlights from across Sri Lanka 

One of the key highlights of this year’s GEW was the partnership between Villa College, Maldives, under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Damith Gangodawilage, Director of Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development at Villa College. GEW Sri Lanka could empower aspiring entrepreneurs in the Maldives with the support of SquareHub by Kanishka Weeramunda. Another standout event was the Rathnapura’s Digital Marketing Programme and GMP Awareness Sessions, which were meticulously organised by Vidatha and the NEDA.