US-Supported Ceramics Research Center To Improve Industry Competitiveness
COLOMBO: April 5, 2007: A new ceramics research center inaugurated today promises to improve the competitiveness of Sri Lankan ceramics products in the global marketplace by helping Sri Lanka ceramics firms with testing and research.
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USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn congratulates members of the |
The Center of Technical Excellence in Ceramics (CENTEC) was established through a partnership among Sri Lankan ceramic manufacturers, suppliers, the government and universities under the auspices of the Sri Lankan Ceramics Council. Half the 14 million Rs project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with the other half coming from the ceramics industry.
The Ceramics Council is supported by The Competitiveness Program, a project funded by USAID, to improve the ability of Sri Lanka to compete in global markets by creating value chains in eight key local industries.
"Establishment of this facility will benefit the industry and the national economy by improving the quality of products and the efficiency of production," said USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn, chief guest at the center’s inauguration. "It will help create new technologies that will save money, and build talent in the ceramics research community."
High energy costs in Sri Lanka are a major liability to the companies who manufacture ceramics, which are finished by "firing" under intense heat. Development of new materials and glazings that could be fired a single time, instead of multiple times, will provide tremendous cost savings and keep prices lower in order to compete with market leader Japan, as well as new players like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
Ceramics is a relatively new industry in Sri Lanka, but already the quality and craftsmanship of its products are recognized as world class. While some sectors of the industry are currently enjoying a boom in local sales, export sales and penetration into new international markets are vital for longer-term future growth.
"Short and long term innovations and improvements to current technology and know-how will ensure a solid future for small and large enterprises alike," said Dayasiri Warnakulasuriya, president of the Ceramics Council. "Sharing experiences and developing linkages through this new center is a key part of the long-term growth strategy for the industry, as well as a way to improve incomes in rural areas."
CENTEC is a result of collaboration between the Industrial Technology Institute and the University of Moratuwa and the Sri Lanka Ceramics Council. Vital testing, research and development, and training and short courses offered at the Center will fund the facility and help drive growth in the ceramics sector, including small and medium-size firms.
CENTEC is a first of a kind private-public partnership between the Ceramics Council, Industrial Technology Institute, Universities of Moratuwa and Peradeniya and several of the country’s leading ceramics manufacturers.