Atlas begins first R&D laboratory with University of Moratuwa

Ceylon Pencil (Atlas), Sri Lanka’s largest stationery manufacturer and marketer, keeping a step ahead in the industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Moratuwa to establish a Research and Development (R&D) laboratory in Colombo recently.

This project is the first and only R&D lab in Sri Lanka, for the stationary industry and Atlas declare the credits for establishing an institute for the greater development of the industry in the country. Atlas Chief Executive Officer Nirmal Madanayake and Vice Chancellor Professor Ananda Jayawardene represented the University of Moratuwa in signing the MOU.

The lab to be set up in the University will research many aspects, including research on new innovations, increasing the quality of the existing products to add more commercial value, work study on the production cycle to reduce cost and increase quality, development of innovative production processes, identifying office stationary requirements, energy efficiency and conservation, and adding market value to newly innovated products.

At this historic occasion Ceylon Pencils Director Operation Viraj Jayasooriya said: “Atlas is the organisation that changed the industry by innovating products from the traditional stationary market in Sri Lanka. It is also the only company that owns a production facility to meet each and every requirement of the stationery industry.  “Due to high productivity levels we maintain, we managed to keep the prices still and increase the quality of the product. The best example is the introduction of a ball point pen as ‘Millenium’ in 1999 for just Rs. 10 and managed to introduce ‘Atals Chuti T’ pen in 2013 for Rs. 10.  Since we have our own production facility, we always wanted to have our own R&D unit.”  

He added, “We decided to go ahead with the University of Moratuwa on this project because it is a world renowned university and is recognised by many in the world. This project will give the opportunity to do more R&D in Sri Lanka and save what was paid to foreign labs.”

Ceylon Pencils has more than 500 stationary products and more than 80% of the product range is manufactured in manufacturing plants owned by the company. This venture with the university will help them improve the quality of products and offer more value to customers.

R&D Deputy General Manager Ajantha Perera said: “Currently, we manufacture our products to the highest international standards and with the new R&D lab at the University of Moratuwa we will be able to match the worlds’ best standards in stationary. With this project we hope to identify the trends and needs of the future market, which is moving fast, hand-in-hand, with the latest technology and plan our future product portfolio accordingly.

“Furthermore, we hope to share the knowledge gathered by our R&D department with the University staff and use their expertise to uplift the quality of our products. We have been adding more products to our product portfolio every year and this new R&D lab will strengthen the new product development process.”

The University of Moratuwa is one of the region’s best universities with three faculties dedicated for engineering, architecture and information technology and at present it conducts 11 under graduate degrees and 56 post graduate degrees and diplomas.

The university provides R&D facilities to business organisations in the country and working towards becoming the world’s most recognised university in the region. Ceylon Pencils established in 1959 is the leader in school and office stationary production and distribution. Atlas is the only stationary manufacturer and distributor in the country, authorised to use Disney, Marvel and Ben 10 cartoon characters.