University of Moratuwa to hold first International Conference on Technology Management in Sri Lanka

Technology is embedded in every aspect of our lives in contemporary society. Technology has brought extraordinary changes to our lives, businesses and industries in many facets. Today, technology has made possible what our ancestors would have dreamed of and thought as impossible to be done. 

Ever-increasing integration with existing technologies and the introduction of novel and more powerful technologies will keep on changing the way we live, the way we do business and the way we interact among others. This powerful force will continue to challenge us and change us for the betterment, but if not properly understood and managed it could create an equally devastating impact. 

As we become deeply dependent on technology, we must also understand that unless properly managed, the dark side of the technology will create a negative impact on our values systems, lives and environment among others. In this background, technology management is considered as an important element in the path to development of any nation. Technology management combines engineering, science, and management disciplines to plan, develop, and implement technological capabilities and accomplish strategic objectives of an organisation or a nation. 

In this background, the first International Conference on Technology Management (iNCOTeM2016) organised by the Department of Management of Technology, University of Moratuwa on the theme ‘Technology Management for Sustainable Development in Emerging Economies’ stands out as a key milestone in the path to economic and social development of our country. 

It is the first international conference to be held in Sri Lanka in this field and academic and practicing professionals from an array of fields, cultural and linguistic horizons are expected to gather together on 27 December at the BMICH, Colombo for this conference.

University of Moratuwa Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ananda Jayawardane stated that technology management could be considered as the most strategic and the essential factor in achieving sustainable competitive advantage for a nation or an organisation. 

Professor Krishnamurthy Ramanathan of University of Western Sydney, a pioneer in technology management arena and a proud product of Sri Lanka, will deliver the keynote speech at this occasion. He remarked: “The continued existence and deepening of the technological capacity imbalance will make it difficult for many nations to emerge out of technological backwardness and create wealth for the betterment of their people.”

The future economic and social progress of developing countries such as Sri Lanka will highly depend on their ability and readiness to develop, adopt and use technology appropriately. In this sense, the first International Conference on Technology Management creates a platform for every interested party to engage in a constructive dialog and share their knowledge on proper management of technology to move our nation forward.