Science, technology and the dream

Science and Technology Minister Prof Tissa Vitharana has said that the Government intends to increase the number of researchers in the Universities from the present 4,600 to 7200 in five years. In order to achieve the target he proposes to increase them at the rate of 500 per year.

Thus the Government has acknowledged the dearth of science and technology personnel in the country. This brings us to the role of science and technology in economic development. Today in the knowledge economy science itself has become a force of production.

Sri Lanka has declared its intention of becoming the wonder of Asia. The realization of this dream depends on a lot of factors. Though dedication, commitment and resolve are essential components of the national drive for its realization much more are required.

Sri Lanka is presently at a comparatively low level of development of science and technology. That is why it has been unable to save enough resources to meet its investment requirements. The savings rate at present is around 18 percent of the GDP. In order to get adequate capital accumulation for investment the country needs to at least double the present rate of savings. This is not feasible without an adequate increase in the productivity of labour.

To increase the productivity of labour one has to apply developed technology. That requires the development of human resources and Research and Development (R & D). Unfortunately these spheres are in a state of neglect at present. Our University system, which should produce human resources necessary for accelerated development of the economy, has failed badly. Not only have they failed to produce the required R & D personnel and other man power required, they have even degenerated in their academic standards. Even established Universities have gone down in their rankings to an alarming extent.

Besides, there is no culture of research in the Universities. An urgent re-orientation of our universities towards research is necessary. In this context the proposal of the Minister to increase the number of researchers in the Universities is welcome.

Sri Lanka spends a minimal amount on R & D. General Expenses for R & D (GERD) in Sri Lanka is about 0.14 percent of the GDP. Even Nepal and Bangladesh spend a little over 0.6 percent of the GDP on R & D. China spends about 1.5 percent and South Korea 2.64 percent. Israel spends the largest amount, 4.46 percent of the GDP. Sri Lanka has been stagnating at the present rate for more than a decade. It is necessary to double this rate if we are not to lag behind other countries in South Asia.

The neglect of science and technology in the country is seen from the smaller number of scientists relative to the population, the smaller number of research publications and the almost total lack of patents filed and licences obtained. Sri Lanka has only about 190 scientists and researchers per million population compared to 430 and 330 respectively in Malaysia and Thailand. In Japan the figure is 5,085.

Sri Lanka has an export oriented economy. However the increased revenues are devoured by rising import costs. Competition from countries with more advanced technology makes our goods less marketable and profitable in the international market. That is why we need to infuse higher technology to our agriculture and industry. High technology exports amount to only one percent of our manufacturing exports. We have to increase it several fold, if we are to remain competitive in the global market. In Pakistan high technology exports account for two percent of their total manufacturing exports. The corresponding figure for India is five percent. In Singapore and Thailand it is 12 and 27 percent respectively.

There are several causes for the low science base in the country. One is the low infrastructure facilities for research and development. Higher education is not geared towards research, causing the country to rely on foreign technology. Lack of funding by state and utter neglect by the private sector is another cause. The dearth of design and engineering facilities for research is another drawback. Preference for foreign technology over local technology and innovation is another contributory factor to this sad state of affairs.

All these issues have to be addressed quickly if we are to embark on a path towards accelerated development. Otherwise, the dream of becoming the wonder of Asia would remain a distant dream confined only to the realm of fictitious rhetoric.