A US$100 Million Technology Vision for Sri Lanka
A pioneering technology ecosystem designed to attract investment, create employment and accelerate technology-led growth
In January 2006, the Sunday Observer reported on my proposal for a US$100 million technology park and my vision for a plug-and-play environment where technology companies could establish and scale operations in Sri Lanka.
The concept went beyond real estate, bringing together technology infrastructure, business facilities, supporting amenities and complementary industries in an integrated ecosystem designed for growth.
Context
Building the ecosystem around the opportunity
The opportunity was to create something Sri Lanka did not yet have: a purpose-built environment where technology companies could establish and scale operations with the infrastructure and services already in place.
The idea was broader than developing real estate. The park was conceived as an integrated ecosystem combining technology infrastructure, business facilities, recreational amenities and access to complementary sectors such as life sciences.
The Sunday Observer reported that the project was expected to span 100 acres in two phases and support an estimated 10,000 technology-related jobs over five years. Its target sectors included IT and software services outsourcing and life sciences, including computer-based clinical research.
I also saw a wider strategic opportunity for Sri Lanka. As software costs in India were rising, Sri Lanka had the potential to compete for technology investment while creating links with sectors such as medicine, hospitality and tourism.
The original Sunday Observer report is reproduced below as published on January 22, 2006.
Copyright in the original publication and reproduced page remains with the respective rights holder(s).
Retrospective
The idea was the ecosystem, not just the infrastructure
Infrastructure had to enable business, not constrain it. The plug-and-play concept was designed to remove friction for technology companies entering or expanding in the market.
Technology clusters work through concentration. Bringing companies, talent, services and supporting facilities together can create advantages that isolated operations cannot.
Location economics can create new opportunities. Changes in the cost structure of established markets can open space for emerging locations with the right capabilities and infrastructure.
Technology development can have effects beyond technology. The plan anticipated links between the technology ecosystem and sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, hospitality and tourism.
Looking back
A recurring approach
The proposal reflects an approach that has run through much of my work: identify a structural opportunity, understand what is preventing organizations or markets from capturing it, and build the operating environment needed to turn that opportunity into commercial reality.
Whether the challenge is a new market, a new technology or a changing competitive landscape, the strategic question is similar:
What has to exist around the opportunity for it to succeed?