On 9th May 2025, the FOUNTAIN Project convened the Global Agro-Industry Forum at gapHQ in Colombo as part of the Second International Conference on University-Industry Collaborations for Sustainable Development.

Prof. Dilantha Fernando (University of Manitoba) delivered the keynote, urging the nurturing of agro-entrepreneurs, creation of international technology-transfer partnerships, and restructuring of academic programs to tackle real-world challenges.

Moderated by Dr. Chathuri Senanayake, the panel brought together Prof. Guttila Jayasinghe (University of Ruhuna), who called for innovation hubs and industry aligned curricula; Dr. Thushara Wickramaarachchi (Ministry of Agriculture), who outlined government modernization policies and investment incentives; Mr. Tharaka Jayasinghe (A. Baur & Co.), who highlighted private-sector barriers to advanced technology and inclusive value chains; and Dr. Sepalika Sudasinghe (National Science Foundation), who emphasized strengthening commercialization frameworks and startup support.

Participants agreed to establish joint university-industry hubs, reform policy incentives, and launch multi-stakeholder working groups to pilot climate-resilient, digitally enabled solutions for Sri Lanka’s agro-industry.

The forum concluded with a unified call to action for academia, industry, and government to move from discussion to implementation. Emphasis was placed on sustained collaboration, policy reform, and support for youth-led innovation—marking a key step toward a resilient and inclusive future for Sri Lanka’s agro-industrial sector.