An agreement (host country agreement) between the government of Sri Lanka and the BIMSTEC Secretariat was signed in Colombo recently for establishing the “BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility” in Sri Lanka, marking a significant milestone in advancing regional cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
The agreement was signed by ML Gammampila, secretary (acting) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Sri Lanka, on behalf of his government, and Indra Mani Pandey, BIMSTEC secretary general, on behalf of the BIMSTEC Secretariat.
The signing of the host country agreement reflects the shared commitment of the BIMSTEC states to strengthening cooperation in science, technology and innovation, including through creating mechanisms to support technology transfer for the benefit of the member states, said a media release on Monday.
The signing of the agreement marks the final step towards operationalisation of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility, realising the long-standing commitment to establishing a functioning regional mechanism for facilitating technology transfer.
A Governing Board of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility has been constituted, and the Board convened its first meeting virtually on August 3 in Colombo.
As the lead country for the science, technology and innovation sector and host country of the facility, Sri Lanka will coordinate with the member states, through the BIMSTEC Secretariat, to develop a common Intellectual Property Framework to facilitate technology transfer among the BIMSTEC member states.
The proposed framework will be further discussed at the subsequent meeting of the Governing Board. Sri Lanka will also announce the appointment of the Executive Director of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility at that meeting.
As the host country, Sri Lanka will play the role of anchor in operationalisation of the facility, in close cooperation with the BIMSTEC Secretariat and the member states.
BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
United News of Bangladesh (UNB) Cosmos Centre 69/1 New Circular Road, Malibagh, Dhaka-1217,Bangladesh. Email: [email protected]
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