A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat between STEMedical of the USA and the Sri Lanka Institute of Biotechnology (SLIBTEC) to establish a laboratory with internationally identified accreditation, the Presidents Media Division (PMD) said.The MoU for this $15 million financial investment task, conducted under the assistance of the National Initiative for Research and Development Commercialisation (NIRDC), was signed by Professor Hans Keirstead, creator of the American business STEMedical and on behalf of the Sri Lanka Institute of Biotechnology (SLIBTEC), by its Chairman, Professor Samitha Hettige and Chief Operating Officer, Amali Ranasinghe.For a long period of time, there has been a requirement to boost the capacity of laboratories with worldwide recognised accreditation for testing purposes across lots of sectors in Sri Lanka, consisting of health, farming, cosmetics and Ayurveda, as well as in the import and export fields, according to the PMD.Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, Senior Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology, who attended the occasion, stated that today is a big day for Sri Lanka and that accreditation is extremely crucial for a country.Prof.
Udugamasooriya emphasised the significance of a laboratory job with such accreditation centers in attaining the governments goal of doubling the countrys export income by the year 2030.
This laboratory is expected to operate as a main lab, working in combination with existing labs throughout the island, to ensure the quality of items and services in various fields, the PMD said.Professor Hans Keirstead, founder of STEMedical, mentioned that he is pleased with the existing management in Sri Lanka, which he stated has a broad vision for the clinical sector and has actually had the ability to identify developmental needs such as improving lab capacity.He also said that this task would bring numerous benefits to the nation, not only medically however likewise economically.
Mr Keirstead further pointed out that it would bring in the attention of economists and produce revenue by bringing products, such as medications, from other countries to Sri Lanka for accreditation, it added.Professor Hans Keirstead, the creator of STEMedical in the United States, is a worldwide identified stem cell specialist.
He is also a respected entrepreneur in the field of regenerative medicine in the USA.
It is also noteworthy that Professor Hans Keirstead, who currently functions as the Chief Executive Officer of the Human Immunome Project, is amongst the leading 100 researchers worldwide, as noted by Discover Magazine.The Presidents Senior Additional Secretary, Russel Aponsu; the Director-General of the National Initiative for Research and Development Commercialisation (NIRDC), Dr Muditha Senarath Yapa; and the Chief Executive Officer of STEMedical in the United States, Dr Nistor Gabriel Loan, likewise went to the occasion.-- PMD