The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) is committed to promote global trade and facilitate the interests of exporters. In this pursuit, EDB actively seeks new markets and opportunities for technical collaborations, particularly through partnerships with international organizations. One such collaboration is with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), focused on expanding Sri Lanka's ICT/BPM sector by introducing local tech companies to the Japanese market. This partnership aims to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration that goes beyond immediate economic benefits.
With technical support from JICA, EDB initiated this project to assist 30 SME ICT/BPM companies and startups over a period of two years (2024-2025). The project offers market intelligence, business coaching, and matchmaking services.
JICA has assigned a team of consultants to provide technical guidance, to work closely with Sri Lankan companies and to identify synergies and connect the two tech ecosystems.
This year, the consultant team completed two awareness sessions for the IT industry and two Training of Trainers (TOT) sessions for EDB officers. One-on-one consultations are ongoing with the selected companies and they are preparing activity plans for each company and identifying suitable Japanese partners, while translating promotional materials in to Japanese language.
Two consultants in their November visit to Sri Lanka conducted around 30 individual meetings from 19th -21st November with a general awareness session on 22nd November at the JICA Sri Lanka office. The session was organized by the EDB and Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and CEO of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, and Mr. Tetsuya Yamada, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Sri Lanka addressed the participants.
This collaboration between Sri Lanka and Japan underscores the value of international partnerships, demonstrating the potential for ongoing growth and knowledge sharing. It benefits both countries' tech industries by fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for cooperation.