Thursday, 7 November 2013 00:44
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The Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) and John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) signed a landmark agreement to conduct joint research to produce a novel range of nanocomposite material.
SLINTEC and JKH will look into the development of nanocomposite material that has applications in fields of renewable energy, automotive and heat shields. In general, a composite is a bulk substance made up of two or more distinct, structurally complimentary substances. Nanocomposites make up a special class of composites, as at least one of the components has nanoscale dimensions.
Under terms of the joint research, both companies will bring significant background knowledge and know-how with a view to innovate and create novel material with unique characteristics.
SLINTEC’s CEO Harin De Silva Wijeyeratne said: “This is our first engagement with JKH and we are delighted in attracting one of the blue chip companies to embrace research. We hope that more would follow suit in the near future.”
Head of John Keells Research Dr. Muditha D. Senarath Yapa commented: “We are excited about working closely with SLINTEC on this project at their brand new facility located at the newly-inaugurated Nanotechnology and Science Park at Pitipana.”
SLINTEC is a public-private partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and six private companies, namely, MAS Holdings, Brandix, Dialog, Hayleys, Lankem and Loadstar. Its mandate is to add value to the Sri Lankan industries by helping them contribute to the GDP through innovations in nanotechnology and advanced technologies.
John Keells Research is the newly-formed research division of John Keells Holdings PLC, which was set up to conduct scientific research projects targeted at developing technologies for the future.
Present at the event representing JKH were Head of Corporate Finance Gihan Cooray, Head of Research Dr. Muditha Senarath Yapa and Thilina Weerasekera. Representing SLINTEC were CEO Harin de Silva Wijeyeratne, Science Team leader Prof. Veranja Karunarathne, Business Development Manager Dr. Himesh Fernando and the science team led by Dr. Nuwan Silva, Wimalika Thalgaspitiya and Tharindu Madusanka.
