Jagdish Hathiramani's Portfolio

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Rs. 9 bln impact from SL nanotech fertiliser, apparel, rubber patents

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111030/BusinessTimes/bt25.html

Rs. 9 bln impact from SL nanotech fertiliser, apparel, rubber patents
By Jagdish Hathiramani

Three patents filed by the country’s nanotechnology public-private partnership, the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), in the areas of fertilisers, apparel and rubber, could potentially result in a Rs. 9.55 billion positive impact for the country, based on combined savings and earnings, according to Prof. Veranja Karunaratne, a University of Peradeniya Chemistry don and SLINTEC’s Science Team Leader.

One example given was the development of slow release fertilisers, which facilitates a controlled and sustained release of nutrients. This newly developed fertiliser significantly diminishes previously incurred, and expected, losses of 50% to 70% of urea which are a part of the fertilising process by making it more efficient. Additionally, the anticipated savings of as much as 10% of the urea, which would otherwise be lost, will result in Rs. 3 billion in estimated annual savings for the country. Aside from this, there are also benefits such as better crop yields, and quality, as well as less environmental repercussions.

He further revealed that SLINTEC was also working on private sector projects such as smart yarn, high end fabric, high performance tires and other rubber composites, smart agriculture and remote health monitoring. A 1% value addition in terms of exports in related industries would add billions of rupees in earnings to the potential Rs. 3 billion annual savings from slow release fertiliser and, as a consequence, lift nanotechnology’s total economic impact in Sri Lanka to Rs. 9.55 billion per year, he noted.

At the same time, Prof. Karunaratne indicated that nanotechnology could also be used to add value to existing public sector mineral exports, such as for Ilmenite extracted from Pulmoddai in the North East, a substance for which the country is ranked ninth in terms of reserves as it has 18 million metric tonnes, or 2.6% of the world’s reserves. He revealed that nanotechnology could be used to turn ilmenite, a commodity which was just at the first stage of value addition, into titanium dioxide, which is 40 times greater in price and widely demanded by the paint and printing ink industries which buy up 65% of worldwide supply annually.

Currently, Sri Lanka exports 80,000 metric tonnes of Ilmenite a year at US$ 8 million. However, the country could potentially earn US$ 100 million per year for just 40,000 metric tonnes of titanium dioxide. This is while the local paint industry spends US 12.5 million per year for 5,000 metric tonnes of titanium dioxide.

He also identified Graphite (from Bogala and Kahatagaha), Magnetite (from Matale), Montmorillonite clay (from Murukkan Bay in Mannar) and Vein Quartz (from Matale and Ratnapura) as other commodity-type minerals which were now being exported that could benefit from value addition, resulting in price increasing anywhere between a factor of 16, for nanosilica from vein quartz, to a factor of 25,000, for graphite-based carbon nanotubes and graphite oxide.

Prof. Karunaratne’s comments were part of his recent presentation,”Economic Impact of Nanotechnology: Opportunities for Sri Lanka,” held at the Central Bank’s Centre for Banking Studies in Rajagiriya last week, an event during which he also opined that currently there were only about 4,000 scientists working locally, while 50,000 Sri Lankan scientists were now abroad. He also added that, to truly become an innovation oriented culture, the country needed about 18,000 scientists working and publishing domestically. Also emerging, high technology product exports as a percentage of total manufactured exports was only 1.8% in 2008, equalling US$ 101.27 million.

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No real alternatives to oil: Chairman Chevron SL

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100815/BusinessTimes/bt36.html

No real alternatives to oil: Chairman Chevron SL
By Jagdish Hathiramani

There are no existing real alternatives to the world’s dependence on fossil fuels that account for 87% of the world’s current energy needs, according to Dr. Kishu Gomes, the Chairman of the local operation of USA-based oil company Chevron. He also added world energy demands by 2030 will be 40% higher than today. This is in addition to an oil crisis looming and ever-shortening intervals between recessions. Further, over the last three years, commodity prices increased by 100% while natural disasters, like those recently in Bangladesh and China, which cost these countries 5.2% and 2% of GDP respectively, would only grow to become more and more frequent with greater magnitudes.

He further noted that the recent BP crisis amounting to over a billion barrels of oil spilled was not atypical as the equivalent of 4.7 million barrels of oil leaks annually while a further 4.2 million barrels is added to this mix due to natural seepage. Dr. Gomes also suggested that for energy sustainability to become a reality substantial investments were needed in this area, which was not happening. Instead he noted that more and more money was being used to fight terrorism internationally and, in the case of Sri Lanka, the government’s continued spending of Rs. 170-180 billion on security.

Dr. Gomes made these comments at the recently concluded “CEO Forum on Innovation and Sustainability” organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies. Also speaking at the forum, Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology Chief Executive Ravi Fernando noted that being sustainable for Sri Lankan businesses had more to do with value addition as opposed to their traditional leanings towards commoditisation.

He also noted that there was a significant cause and effect relationship between a country’s investment in sciences and technology and its prosperity. To illustrate this point, he highlighted the examples of Korea and Singapore; countries that spent 2.5% and 2.2% respectively on science and technology research resulting in 75% and 60%, respectively, of exports of a technological nature. He further noted that Korea had over 5,000 patent s filed per year while Singapore had 446, compared to Sri Lanka’s 1.8.

Mr. Fernando also revealed that over the past year, SLINTEC’s first year of science, it had already filed five patents in the USA. He elaborated on one such process that related to sustainable nano fertiliser and its ability to address the problem that, of the Rs. 30 billion in fertiliser bought in Sri Lanka annually, one half or 50% was lost or washed away due to leeching. He further added that this could be exported since other countries faced similar problems.

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‘How innovation Supports Sustainability’ on August 9

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100801/BusinessTimes/bt24.html

A panel discussion on “How Innovation Supports Sustainability”, organised jointly by the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AMCHAM), is slated to be held on Monday, August 9, at 9.00 a.m. at the Hilton Colombo.

The event features keynote speeches by the Chairman of Accenture India, Harsh Manglik, and the Chief Executive of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology, Ravi Fernando. In addition, the panel dicussion will include Mr. Manglik and Mr. Fernando as well as Chairman of Chevron Sri Lanka, Dr. Kishu Gomes; Group Chief Innovation Officer of John Keells, Ramesh Shanmuganathan; Chief Executive of Latitude 655, Shanil Fernando; and Executive Director of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Duminda Ariyasinghe.

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SL nanotechnology must add value to commodities : top scientist

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100523/BusinessTimes/bt28.html

SL nanotechnology must add value to commodities : top scientist
By Jagdish Hathiramani

Nanotechnology in Sri Lanka should focus on adding value to the country’s commodities which will result in immediate gains for industry, according to noted scientist and nanotechnology researcher, Prof. Veranja Karunaratne of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology and the University of Peradeniya.
Prof. Karunaratne made these comments in response to a question from the audience at the recently held “Public Lecture on Nanotechnology: Social and Sustainability Issues”, organised by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science in Colombo.

He also indicated that the current avenues of research locally were centred around nanotechnology materials which could lead to improvements in plastics, fabrics, etc. International successes in this area have led to nano tubes being used to increase the strength, while at the same time reducing the required quantity, of materials such as concrete, rubber, etc, while nano particles have been used in skincare creams and sunscreen for greater protection of skin.

Prof. Karunaratne also suggested that, while the greatest harvest from nanotechnology research would be for developed countries, especially since Sri Lankans did not have the research budget to fully benefit from this fledgling science and local nanotechnology advances would not have the same impact as those from more advanced researchers with better funding; Sri Lanka could benefit from the potential offered from second nature patents. This is when technology patent holders will be in the west and local researchers can use these to develop new applications and pay them royalties.

Likening nanotechnology to a “rollercoaster heading towards a big climb”, Prof. Karunaratne said that he did not “know at this point where it is actually going”. Elaborating, he suggested that new means of production, exponential proliferation, cheap rapid prototyping and desktop manufacturing units would all come together to completely innovate the field, virtually minute-by-minute. He also noted that currently theoretical, but soon to be realised, concepts such as molecular manufacturing would result in “a very sharp turn”, changing of the existing methodology.

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Only 0.14% of SL GDP towards R&D, others 1.5%

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100328/BusinessTimes/bt43.html

Only 0.14% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was spent on research and development in Sri Lanka which is in relation to over 1.5% contributed by other countries. So research has played a minimal role in the country’s development. This is according to Prof. Veranja Karunaratne, Science Team Leader at Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC); who was recently quoted in a statement announcing the launch of http://www.susnanotec.lk, SLINTEC’s official website, by its developer Pyxle.

http://www.susnanotec.lk plans to “[create] awareness on nanotechnology amongst students, educate potential investors and clients on the research being done, enable the government to measure the performance of funding, provide a forum for scientists to share their thoughts, attract potential human resources, satisfy public curiosity and aid business sector decision makers in their planning and evaluation of nanotechnology”, according to Pyxle’s announcement.