Business to People (B2P) Virtual Platform was launched on November 6 in Colombo, by the National Innovation Agency (NIA) Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Council (SDC), in the presence of stakeholders.
The stakeholders represented key government institutions, private sector entities, leading business chambers, international development agencies, research and innovation community and the academia.
This cutting-edge platform is set to transform the landscape for innovators, investors, and industry leaders, fostering collaborations and propelling innovation-driven growth in Sri Lanka.
The B2P platform is a dynamic space that brings together visionaries, investors, and industry pioneers, acting as a vital bridge for networking and growth. It offers a platform for innovators to showcase their groundbreaking ideas, investors to discover promising projects, and industry leaders to engage with forward-thinking innovations. It is expected to break down barriers in communication and facilitate direct interactions between innovators, investors, and industry experts providing a fertile ground for idea exchange and the formation of collaborative partnerships and ultimately opening up growth opportunities for businesses and startups, expanding networks and market opportunities.
Delivering the Welcome Address, Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Chief Innovation Officer of NIA emphasized that the nation will never undergo transformation unless it actively engages in the creation of new things, drawing inspiration from renowned writer Cumaratunga Munidasa, who proclaimed, “The nation which does not create new things will not rise”. Furthermore, he stressed that ignorance of innovations can negatively impact a nation’s growth. Therefore, it is imperative to translate research into tangible economic gains, and the present moment provides a golden opportunity for this endeavour.
Speaking at the event, Chamindry Saparamadu, the Director General of the Sustainable Development Council said that innovation plays a critical role in sustainable development as it can help organizations and Governments address the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the world today by finding new and more efficient ways of using resources, reducing waste and pollution and creating sustainable products and services.
Saparamadu further stated that the SDC places great emphasis on promoting sustainable finance innovations as well as inclusive and sustainable businesses for sustainable development in Sri Lanka and that the B2P Platform would complement and contribute to the broader objectives expected to be achieved in these areas.
Discussions have already been initiated with business chambers and others for collaborations and partnerships for linking the inventor with the correct investor, so that the inventions/ research outputs could be commercialized successfully and further open up new horizons as anyone anywhere maybe connected through the B2P Platform.
