Sri Lanka’s young innovators achieved a remarkable milestone at the prestigious Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA) 2024, held in Brunei from December 4 to 7. Competing against representatives from 17 Asia-Pacific countries, three Sri Lankan students stood out for their exceptional creativity and technological ingenuity, securing significant accolades and bringing pride to the nation.

Dasindu Sithmira Mahabodhi of Sivali Central College, Rathnapura, won second place in the Junior Category, a feat that highlights his innovative prowess and dedication. Meanwhile, Sineth Daham Bandara Jayasundera from Gateway College, Colombo, and Ramiru Thehan Wijayasiriwardhane of Ananda College Colombo, earned merit awards in the Senior Category, demonstrating their exceptional talent and technical capabilities. Thisath Damiru Abeywickrama of St.Joseph's College Anuradhapura   too, participated at this competition.

APICTA: Nurturing Regional Innovation

The Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA) is one of the most respected ICT competitions in the Asia-Pacific region. Established to foster collaboration and elevate the standards of technological development across member countries, APICTA provides a platform for students, professionals, and organizations to showcase their innovative ICT-based solutions. The 2024 edition of APICTA attracted top innovators from 17 economies, including Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, making the competition highly intense. Despite the challenging environment, Sri Lanka's young talents made a significant impact, proving the country’s growing strength in ICT innovation.

From Local to Global: The Role of YCS and FITIS

The students’ journey to APICTA began with the Young Computer Scientist (YCS) 2024 Competition, a program organized by the Software Chapter of Federation of Information Technology (Guarantee) Ltd (FITIS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the support of University of Colombo School of Computing.

The YCS competition serves as a national platform to recognize and nurture ICT talent among school students. It encourages participants to identify real-world problems and develop practical, innovative solutions using technology. The program emphasizes not only technical skills but also creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities. The success of these students at APICTA underscores the effectiveness of this initiative in creating a pipeline of globally competitive innovators.

FITIS, as the apex body representing Sri Lanka’s ICT industry, has played a pivotal role in driving such programs. The organization is committed to bridging the gap between education and industry by fostering ICT literacy and empowering the youth to excel in the digital economy.

President and the Vice President of the Software Chapter Mr Sanjaya Dayananda and Mr Kalinga Ihalagedera attended APICTA 2024  with the students and commented on the high quality of this competition where “our students had to compete against teams from technologically highly developed countries”.

Whilst congratulating the winners, Chairman of FITIS Mr. Indika De  Zoysa  reaffirmed the association's commitment to  YCS programme and highlighted the requirement of young innovators  to develop country's digital economy. Senior Vice Chairman of FITIS, Dr. Dayan Rajapakse also congratulated the students for their achievements. A leading ICT Education Institute  ESOFT Metro Campus where Dr. Dayan is the Chairman/Managing Director, recently joined hands with FITIS, extending its support as the sponsor for the “Title Partner “ for YCS Competition.

Spotlight on the Winning Projects

Each student brought forward unique and impactful projects that addressed real-world challenges:

1. Dasindu Sithmira Mahabodhi: His award-winning project in the Junior Category utilized advanced technologies to optimize the utilization of computer resources when a role playing computer game which allows users with low specs hardware and low bandwidth connectivity  to experience full features of the game.
2. Sineth Daham Bandara Jayasundera: In the Senior Category, Sineth’s project is focused on providing a solution to eliminate the wastage in electrical power  consumption, using neural networks. The solution has capability to identify excessive use of electrical current by household devices enabling the owner to switch-off the device or replace it.
3. Ramiru Thehan Wijayasiriwardhane: Ramiru’s project provides a solution to the  common problem of watering home plots and school gardens without wasting the precious water. His innovative solution uses IoT technology for automatic watering based on predictive localized weather data. The system checks the soil moisture level and releases water based on predetermined moisture levels after taking into account the weather information.

Celebrating a National Triumph

The achievements of these students not only highlight their individual talents but also mark a significant milestone for Sri Lanka’s ICT landscape. Their success serves as an inspiration for thousands of young Sri Lankans aspiring to make their mark in the tech industry. These victories also underscore the importance of investing in ICT education and providing platforms for young innovators to excel. As Sri Lanka continues to strengthen its initiatives like YCS and expand access to technology-driven education, the nation is poised to produce even more trailblazers in the global ICT arena.

The achievement  of these students in APICTA 2024 is a testament to the immense potential of Sri Lanka’s youth and a celebration of the country’s commitment to fostering innovation. With the right support and opportunities, Sri Lanka is set to shine even brighter on the global stage.