Professor Silva elected to the National Academy of Sciences Sri Lanka

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Since 2005 he has worked with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Sri Lanka to establish nanotechnology as a vehicle from which to create wealth for the nation that will allow for poverty alleviation in the country. By introducing high technology in to the manufacturing base in Sri Lanka he has spearheaded a drive to introduce innovation and competitiveness in to the industrial sector within the country.

Working alongside the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology in Sri Lanka, Professor Tissa Vitarana, himself a Fellow of the NASSL, Professor Silva has been able to help establish two public-private partnerships to promote new technologies based on nano-products in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTec Ltd.), and the soon to be commenced world's first fully dedicated Nano-Science park (NANCO Ltd) in a bespoke 60 acre land site just outside Colombo were established by him under the patronage of HE The President Mahinda Rajapakse in 2007/8. Professor Silva has also been helping in popularising nanotechnology in secondary schools, universities and industry in Sri Lanka, where teaching material including DVDs on the subject were distributed island-wide.

Professor Silva stated: "I am honoured and privileged to join a group of internationally recognised scientists in the National Academy of Sri Lanka numbering just over 100 at present. The work that is being conducted by the Academy on national policy and education for both public and private sector is immense. I look forward to helping further promote high impact work for national wealth creation in the country with the support of the Ministry and NSF in Sri Lanka."

Professor Vitarana, Minister of Science and Technology in Sri Lanka stated: "I warmly welcome Professor Silva to the Academy and look forward to working with him to promote high technology products via nanotechnology infusion in Sri Lanka. We are already working with 5 of the premier companies in Sri Lanka in incorporating nanotechnology into manufacturing via SLINTec. My Ministry has helped establish a National Nanotechnology Initiative in the country which is already enabling new product design and manufacture through partnership with industry."

Professor Silva is the Director of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey, and has published over 320 archival journal papers, presented over 350 talks at international meetings and is the inventor of 20 patents. He has recently concluded one of the most successful portfolio partnership awards for £6.68m with Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council on Integrated Electronics and at present is working closely with E.ON on 4th generation hybrid solar cells for large area deployment. He is working with the Royal Academy of Engineering and colleagues in India on the large scale deployment of solar technologies in India. He has won the Albert Einstein Silver Medal from UNESCO, the Charles-Vernon-Boys Medal from the Institute of Physics and the IEE Achievement Medal from the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He is shortlisted for the Academic Enterprise Awards (ACES) 2009 in Europe for industrial contributions to semiconductors.

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