‘Sri Lanka Print 2018’ concludes unveiling blueprint for ‘Going Global‘

Dammika Sriwardana

Securing Rs. 748 million worth of machinery and commercial printing orders, Sri Lanka Print 2018, the three-day event organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Printers (SLAP) concluded successfully in Colombo recently after comprehensively showcasing advancements in modern printing technologies.

The blueprint to make Sri Lanka a global hub in printing under the ‘Going Global’ strategy of local printers was unveiled at the occasion.

A white paper has been prepared with the aim of achieving this objective through a strong partnership from the industry while taking advantage of Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean, said the architect of the strategic plan, Managing Director of DESIGNLOGICS Ltd. Dhammika Siriwardhana.

SLAP motivates Sri Lankan printers to become the catalysts in transforming different sectors of the industry like agriculture, manufacturing, etc.

Printers should work together rather than as a service provider to be a part of the industry finding solutions, innovation in value-addition and working together and do packaging, marketing and distribution, he said.

It is essential to find solutions in logistics, from the optimisation of containers to materials, and work towards environmentally friendly approaches, he pointed out.

The print and trade fair effectively highlighted the importance of innovation, upgrading, integration and development in the printing industry. All in ‘Sri Lanka Print’ 2018 provided a “grand feast” for the printing industry, SLAP President Ranjith Fernando disclosed.

The Sri Lanka printing industry, with over 60 years of experience, has the capability to handle the world’s latest print technology relating to packaging printing like flexography and offset, he said, adding that many local printers supply packaging for global brands and they are known for world-class packaging, flex printing and print products with maximum accuracy. 

The printing industry made significant progress over the last few years and the ‘Sri Lanka Print 2018’ exhibition showcased the development and achievements of Sri Lankan printers, he claimed.

Sri Lanka supplies a wide range of products to the export market ranging from commercial printing to quality packaging materials such as tea cartons, garment tags and labels which provide a supporting service to major export sectors.

“One of the main focuses of this year’s exhibition will be the introduction of printing as a career path for young school-leavers, guiding them to take advantage of the many opportunities offered and available in this field,” he revealed.

It has also become a meeting place for suppliers to the printing industry and printers and exposes them to new products, processes and modern efficient technologies as well as helping them to establish contacts, he said. 

Inaugurating the Sri Lanka Print 2018 conference at Waters Edge in Battaramulla, Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training Chandima Weerakkody, called upon the members of the association to create awareness on the potential of the printing industry as a viable career path for school-leavers and the youth.

Herbert Cheong, Chairman of the CYBER Group of Companies, the conference sponsor, assured that his company was willing to provide machinery as it has done in the past three years, for the training and development of the printing workforce of Sri Lanka.

This year’s theme focused on ‘Going Global’ and the concepts and strategies discussed at the conference had provided benefits not only to printers but professionals who are interested in expanding markets. 

Prof. Rajendrakumar Anayath, Vice Chancellor of Deenbandhu Chotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Haryana, India, delivered a lecture on the topic ‘Digital disruption and the future’.

Addressing the gala awards night of the SLAP as the Chief Guest at Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said that the Government would extend its full support to the establishment of a full-fledged printing school for the benefit of the printing sector.

While congratulating SLAP for its initiative of going global, he noted that local printers should enter the world market to become rich, alleviating poverty and uplifting living standards.

The Premier stressed the need for improving the export sector and expanding tourism and various services while making the economy stable to go beyond its present status as a middle-income country.

The awards night felicitated the excellent achievers of the industry, crowning those that had contributed to the progress of the sector.

The winners have been chosen from over 2,000 entries in nearly 20 categories by an expert independent international panel of judges. 

The most prestigious accolades for the evening went to the winners of the coveted Master Printer awards and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Awards were presented for various sectors including the digital printing field, the traditional printing sphere and the screen printing field.