WSA Sri Lanka nominees shine as best worldwide performers in social innovation for third consecutive year

 Signing of the MoU. From left: WSA in Sri Lanka Youth Ambassador Peumi Rodrigo, FITIS Chairman Indika De Zoysa, SLASSCOM Chairman Nishan Mendis, WSA in Sri Lanka National Expert Chitranganie Mubarak, CSSL President Dr. Ajantha Atukorale, BCSSL Chairman Allanzo Doll, and Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Treasurer Ruwan Amarasekara

This year, seven innovative digital solutions from Sri Lanka were among 900 entries from 182 countries for the World Summit Awards (WSA), a prestigious global competition recognised widely as the quality seal for digital content with societal impact. 

Similar to the previous year, from the initial round of rigorous judging by an esteemed international panel, six of Sri Lanka’s nominees advanced to the final round, where only 40 global solutions will ultimately be chosen as the most innovative and impactful. The six finalists are among just 133 global nominees vying for recognition at the WSA 2024. This remarkable achievement underscores Sri Lanka’s resilience and ingenuity, even in challenging times.

These projects showcase diverse applications of technology, each addressing pressing societal needs:

• Election E-Services (Election Commission of Sri Lanka): A groundbreaking solution in Government and citizen engagement, streamlining internal processes while offering an array of services to the public, Government agencies, political parties, and election observers.
• Curfox (Parallax Technologies Ltd.): An e-commerce delivery management software that connects e-commerce, inventory, delivery services, riders, and end consumers through a single channel, ensuring accurate and timely deliveries. Unique about Curfox is its AI-powered Delivery Success Rate predictor module that predicts delivery success rates, reducing returns and enhancing vendor operations at the pre-shipment stage, rather than post-delivery.
• ExamHUB (FONIX Software Solutions): A globally available, cost effective, and innovative online examination platform designed to make learning engaging and effective. It provides a gamified experience that transforms exam preparation into an enjoyable journey. 
• Oversight (Syntax Genie Ltd.): An AI-driven energy management platform promoting sustainability and optimisation across urban and rural areas.
• Online Planning Approval and Clearance System (Colombo Municipal Council): 

A comprehensive portal simplifying municipal services, including building permits, land clearance, and business licences, into a single, user-friendly platform.

• Flash Health: In a country that has the fastest ageing population in the region, “Flash Health” is a boon to caregivers with elderly parents. It is a very effective and affordable solution that integrates all services into one user-friendly app – medicine delivery, home lab services, a wellness marketplace, and telemedicine, providing a seamless and efficient user experience. It has 21,000 B2C customers, a 76% retention rate, and a countrywide outreach.

World Summit Awards

The World Summit Awards, which can be termed the ‘Oscars of Digital Innovation for Social Good,’ has been spotlighting groundbreaking digital solutions since 2004. It emphasises projects that improve daily lives of ordinary people, enhance Government accountability, and offer novel solutions to global challenges.

Sri Lanka has actively participated in the WSA since 2009, with numerous local innovations making their mark on the global stage. eSwabhimani, the National Best Content Award, launched by the ICT Agency (ICTA), served as a springboard for these achievements. 

Notably, Sri Lanka hosted the WSA Global Congress in 2014, a resounding success which is often described as a benchmark in the history of the WSA Congress.

Reviving momentum with a united industry effort

With the phasing out of eSwabhimani, a gap emerged in scouting out the nation’s best digital innovations to the WSA. To bridge this, four main IT Industry associations – the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL), Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS), BCS Sri Lanka Section (BCCSL), and the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) – joined forces and formed a consortium under the WSA Sri Lanka banner in 2022. Their mission: to ensure socially impactful digital innovations continue to represent Sri Lanka on the global stage.

Since 2022, the consortium of these associations, in collaboration with the National Expert and Youth Ambassador for WSA in Sri Lanka, have scouted exceptional projects, leveraging their extensive networks and already established local competitions, such as the National ICT Awards (NBQSA) conducted by the BCSSL, Young Computer Scientist (YCS) Awards conducted by the FITIS, CSSL ICT Awards conducted by the CSSL, and Ingenuity Awards conducted by SLASSCOM. Their efforts have resulted in remarkable success, with Sri Lankan innovators consistently earning global recognition.

FITIS President Indika De Zoysa highlighted this collaboration as being the first of its kind: “For the first time, Sri Lanka’s major ICT Industry bodies have formally united for a national cause, keeping the focus on digital innovation for social good. This structured process ensures young innovators have a platform to shine and gain global exposure.”

In a milestone event, the four associations formalised their partnership with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), solidifying their commitment to nurturing digital innovation with societal impact and supporting the next generation of tech innovators.

As Sri Lanka continues to thrive in the WSA arena, this collaboration marks a new chapter in the nation’s journey, showcasing its potential to lead in global digital innovation for social good.