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Research & Development
Facilitating R&D across diverse disciplines in Sri Lanka and beyond.
Co-host & Organising PartnerNEW2AN 2026 · Colombo · 15–17 December 2026
Centre for Research and Innovation Services
Research that moves Sri Lanka forward.
CRIS is a non-profit company limited by guarantee, dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary research and innovation spanning science, technology, social sciences and beyond through partnerships at home and abroad.
- Founded
- 2018
- Structure
- Non-profit
- Focus
- R&D
Co-host & Organising Partner
Bringing NEW2AN to Colombo 15–17 December 2026.
CRIS is proud to co-host and organise the next edition of NEW2AN — a long-running international conference on Next Generation Wired/Wireless Networking and Smart Spaces. For 2026, the conference comes to Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing global researchers together with our regional innovation community.
Registration Fees
Full NEW2AN Registration - Author
EUR 400 (Early) / EUR 500 (Late)
Non-Author Registration
EUR 400 (Early) / EUR 500 (Late)
Registering Author (Sri Lankan affiliation)
LKR 40,000
Non-presenting Attendee (Sri Lankan affiliation)
LKR 40,000
Gala Dinner
Registering Author
LKR 12,000
Non-presenting Attendee
LKR 15,000
3MT Competition
Local Scholars
LKR 5,000
Foreign Scholars
USD 30
- Dates
- 15–17 Dec 2026
- Location
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Role
- Co-host · Organiser
Pre-Conference Events
Seminars & workshops in the run-up to NEW2AN 2026.
A verified record of the pre-conference programme CRIS is running with its academic and industry partners.
PanelUpcoming
Panel Discussion 02: AI for Public Policy: Ethics and Responsible Innovation
15 December 2026 · Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
A NEW2AN 2026 panel discussion, under the conference theme "Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence", on AI for public policy, ethics and responsible innovation — perspectives, challenges and opportunities.
View details →
PanelUpcoming
Panel Discussion 01: The Future of Research in the Age of AI
15 December 2026 · Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
A NEW2AN 2026 panel discussion, under the conference theme "Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence", on the future of research in the age of AI — perspectives, challenges and opportunities.
View details →
Invited TalkUpcoming
Building Reliable Agentic AI Solutions for Enterprise: Tools, Methodologies and Governance
25 September 2026 · Online via Zoom
This invited talk explores how enterprises can build reliable agentic AI solutions by bringing together practical tools, robust methodologies, and responsible governance, turning innovative ideas into real-world impact.
View details →Parallel Activities
Hackathons & activities alongside NEW2AN 2026.
HackathonUpcoming
NEW2AN Hackathon
Monday, 8 December 2026 · SLIIT (Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology)
The NEW2AN Hackathon is a parallel activity of NEW2AN 2026 (Next Generation Wireless Networks and Applications): Innovate. Build. Solve. — real ideas for a connected tomorrow.
View details →
CompetitionUpcoming
NEW2AN 2026 – 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition
Wednesday, 16 December 2026 · SLIIT Premises
Ready to share your research with the world in just 3 minutes? The NEW2AN 2026 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition invites researchers to showcase their research, ideas and impact in one three-minute presentation — with attractive cash prizes for the best presenters.
View details →About
A platform for inventors, researchers and partners.
The Centre for Research and Innovation Services was incorporated in 2018 as a guarantee-limited company under the Companies Act of Sri Lanka. Originally focused on science and technology, our portfolio has since expanded to include a broad spectrum of disciplines including arts, humanities and social sciences bringing researchers together to share expertise, accelerate knowledge transfer, and create solutions with real social impact.
CRIS facilitates partnerships, secures funding pathways, and provides advisory and project management services that help ideas mature into deployable outcomes. We also offer research ethics review & training while we pursue formal accreditation locally and globally.
Objectives
Eleven mandates. One mission: accelerating Sri Lankan innovation.
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Fueling Innovation
Promoting innovation through research to drive new inventions and ideas.
03
Multidisciplinary Forum
A space for researchers from every field to interact and share expertise.
04
Social Responsibility
Advancing knowledge with a clear commitment to the public good.
05
Global Partnerships
Building local and international R&D partnerships and funding channels.
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Investment Access
Securing investment and funding opportunities for innovative ventures.
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Expert Advisory
Specialist advisory services across emerging research and technology domains.
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Product & Prototyping
Developing new product ideas and strategising prototyping pathways.
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Market Research
Targeted market research into products, services and social outcomes.
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Project Management
End-to-end management of research and product development projects.
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Capacity Building
Capacity building across the scientific, technological and social ecosystem.
Services
What we offer to partners.
From early-stage ideation to full project execution, CRIS supports academia, industry, government and civil society with end-to-end research services.
Research Ethics Review
Submit a research study for advisory ethics review. LKR 50,000 per application.
1. Multidisciplinary collaboration
Cross-disciplinary teams assembled around real-world problems.
2. International partnership brokering
Linking local teams with global institutions and collaborators.
3. Funding & investment facilitation
Connecting researchers and ventures to grants, donors and capital.
4. R&D project management
Disciplined delivery of research and product development programs.
5. Prototyping & product strategy
Pathways from concept to validated, working prototype.
6. Ethical clearance for research
Advisory IRB-style review and guidance for Sri Lankan researchers, while CRIS pursues formal accreditation locally and globally.
7. Technical & scientific advisory
Specialist guidance across science, engineering and applied research domains.
8. Market research
Targeted research into technology products, services and emerging sectors.
9. Capacity building & training
Workshops, training and ecosystem development for researchers.
Membership
Join a community advancing Sri Lankan research.
CRIS membership opens access to a multidisciplinary network of researchers, institutions and industry with opportunities to collaborate, learn and lead.
Become a member →Individual Member
Researchers & professionalsLKR 15,000 / year
- Access to the multidisciplinary CRIS network
- Invitations to events, forums and workshops
- Opportunities to join collaborative projects
Student / Early-career
Students and emerging researchersBy application
- Mentorship from senior researchers
- Priority access to capacity-building programs
- Exposure to live R&D projects
Institutional / Corporate
Universities, industry & agenciesLKR 25,000 / year
- Dedicated partnership channels
- Advisory and consulting access
- Co-funded R&D and innovation pipelines
Operational Team
The people running CRIS day-to-day.
Our operational leadership drives execution across research, ethics, finance, partnerships and innovation translating CRIS's mandate into delivered outcomes.
Academic Affairs & Ethics Lead
Dr. Saisanthani Sridharan
FINANCE LEAD
Umanda Wijesundara
Senior Research & Innovation Manager
Anushka Panawenna
Ecosystem and Alliances Lead
Dinusha Kornkaduwa
SENIOR EXECUTION MANAGER
Manodya Nabadawewa
Collaborators
Proudly based at TRACE Expert City.
CRIS works alongside TRACE Expert City, Colombo's hub for technology, research and innovation enterprises as a key collaborator and host.
Contact
Let's build the next breakthrough together.
Whether you're a researcher, institution or industry partner we'd like to hear from you.
- Address
- Bay X, TRACE Expert City,
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka - Phone
- +94 71 111 1107
- info@crisglobal.org