Sri Lankan delegation to visit top construction conference in Viet Nam

A 13 member delegation from Sri Lanka, including President of the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) Dr. Rohan Karunaratne, will leave for Hanoi, Viet Nam in November to participate in the CIB Working Commission 107.

Organised by the world’s foremost organisation for construction researchers and practitioners, CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), the conference will bring together 200 delegates from around the world in fields of research, academia, corporations and government.

It will be a platform to exchange ideas on how construction through innovation and sustainable practices can enhance economic development in developing countries.

The event deals in many topics under the subject areas of innovation in construction, sustainable construction practices and cost effectiveness, construction workforce and productivity, innovative project delivery system, construction safety management and quality, project management and quality construction and construction industry development entities within developing countries.

The Sri Lankan delegation will contribute to the event in the subject area of construction of waste water treatment facilities, a highly regarded area in the construction industry following high level global awareness on environment protection.

With the effects of global warming and population boom, international environment policies have concentrated on the need introduce disposal of environmentally-safe/treated fluid waste stream and solid waste from commercial and industrial buildings, as well as housing schemes.

According to Dr. Karunaratne, the Sri Lankan wastewater treatment industry is a developed industry where excellent, proven methods are practiced at all types of industrial, commercial and community locations. He spoke of the delegation’s main objective: “In participating at this international event, our main objective is to make solid partnerships in offering our consultancy and wastewater treatment services to countries in the Asian region.”  

On the benefits of such partnerships, he said, “It will give our specialists opportunity to gain international exposure and knowledge transfer. And will build bilateral relationships and promote networking, giving Sri Lanka a global presence. The country as a whole will gain due to the influx of foreign currency from projects of partnerships built at the event.”

Following the event, the delegation will meet the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and the Viet Nam Construction Association to promote bilateral relationships between the two countries.

Key objectives of which include building close relationships between leading industry organisations, developing joint ventures to undertake large scale projects in Sri Lanka, promoting industry related professional services and craftsmanship to Viet Nam, discuss investment opportunities in infrastructure and commercial projects in Sri Lanka, examine the possibility of undertaking construction projects in Viet Nam , promotion of Vietnamese building material, machinery and equipment to Sri Lanka, while considering other matters related to trade and business relationships between the two countries.