The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) initiated a constructive dialogue with the National Initiative for R&D Commercialization (NIRDC) to explore avenues of support for strengthening the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical sector through Research and Development. The meeting took place on 07th July 2025 at the EDB premises, with the participation of private sector representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, NIRDC, and EDB.
Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the EDB, opened the discussion by outlining the measures taken to enhance export revenue, including the reactivation of the Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM) after nearly three decades. He highlighted that the EDCM now provides a vital platform to address policy-level issues across sectors. He further emphasized the growing importance of developing the pharmaceutical industry through research and Development and noted that the collaboration with NIRDC is a timely and strategic step toward long-term export growth in the sector.
Representing the private sector, Mr. Nalin Kannangara, President of the Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (SLPMA), highlighted the significant capital investments pharmaceutical companies are making to upgrade production standards and venture into high-tech pharmaceutical manufacturing. He emphasized that, compared to many other industries, both capital and R&D investment requirements are substantially higher in pharmaceuticals. Therefore, government support in R&D is essential for driving product innovation. He also stressed the need to enhance the knowledge base and technical capacity of university graduates to align with industry requirements and future growth.
Adding further perspective, Professor Jayantha Wijayabandara, Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC), explained that Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical industry remains largely a formulation-based sector, dependent on imports for key raw materials such as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and excipients. He stressed the urgent need to develop local API manufacturing capabilities both to reduce dependency and to explore export potential. He urged NIRDC to prioritize R&D support for local API production as an initial step toward sector transformation.
Professor Gomika Udugamasuriya, Senior Advisor to the President on Science and Technology, stated that the NIRDC is already engaged in strengthening linkages between industry and academia, advancing product standardization, and promoting the commercialization of research. He highlighted the government's renewed focus on building a production-based economy through value-added innovations. In this context, he emphasized the importance of intellectual property (IP) protection for Sri Lankan goods and services in global markets. He further noted that steps are underway to establish a centralized administrative system for R&D management and coordination, which will enhance national efforts in innovation and commercialization.
The meeting created a valuable platform to foster collaboration between the government and the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in identifying priority areas for R&D support. It marked a crucial step toward aligning policy, R&D, and industry efforts to unlock the sector’s export potential and build a sustainable, R&D -driven pharmaceutical industry in Sri Lanka.
