‘The engineers of 21st century cannot afford to sit back’ IESL President at the National Engineeirng Conference 2024.
By PUBLICITY DIVISION (IESL)
The president of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, Eng. (Prof.) Ranjith Dissanayake, addressing the National Engineering Conference 2024, mentioned that every economic activity has a role played by engineering. The challenges we are facing today, such as energy, infrastructure, and environment, are engineering challenges. Therefore, the engineers of the 21st century cannot sit back.
The National Engineering Conference is a flagship event organized by the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka. The event aimed to address critical national issues and provide engineering-driven solutions to the challenges facing the country. The event was held on September 3, 2024, at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo with the participation of industry representatives, government officials and policy makers.
As the premier professional body representing engineers in Sri Lanka, IESL consists of approximately 28,000 members, both locally and internationally. IESL’s mission is to uphold the highest standards of engineering, promote ethical practices, and contribute to the nation’s development.
Representatives from key engineering sectors such as local manufacturing and production, agriculture, construction industry, water resources, transportation, energy, and ICT, chemical petroleum, and mining presented their five-year plans from 2025 to 2029, including proposals from IESL to adhere to developing each sector. The outcome of the conference was published as a report ‘Roadmap for Success 2025-2029’ and handed over to all presidential candidates of the presidential elections 2024 to adopt to their national policy declarations.
According to the report, Sri Lanka's Economic Crisis has deepened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of key foreign exchange revenue streams like foreign employment, the garment industry, and tourism. The sharp decline in these sectors exposed the vulnerability of an economy heavily reliant on imports and external financial flows. Further, Sri Lanka heavily depends on imports for basic needs (food, fuel, raw materials), which has led to a significant trade deficit. The pandemic exacerbated the situation by reducing foreign exchange inflows, destabilizing the economy and making it vulnerable to external shocks.
Additionally, the country accumulated large foreign debts but did not invest effectively in productive sectors. Much of the debt went into unproductive infrastructure or servicing existing debt, worsening the financial situation without a matching income boost. Sri Lanka has not fully capitalized on its natural resources or developed its domestic industries. There has been insufficient focus on sectors like manufacturing, chemical processing, and energy, which has weakened the economy's resilience.
Also Policies have favored imports over local production and innovation, stifling entrepreneurship and limiting the development of an export-based economy. Engineers play a vital role in addressing the economic challenges by offering technical solutions and innovative strategies for sustainable development. Their input is crucial in sectors like manufacturing, infrastructure, water supply, and transportation.
