EML Consultants taps New Zealand expertise to drive local innovation

Dr. Karnika De Silva

In a historic tie-up bridging hemispheric innovation, New Zealand Product Accelerator (NZPA), a respected Senior Materials Expert Dr. Karnika De Silva will partner with Sri Lanka-based consultancy firm EML Consultants Ltd.

This strategic partnership is striving to deliver cutting-edge, sustainable, and inclusive technologies in solving regional infrastructure and environmental challenges, with specific focus on Sri Lankan manufacturing and rubber products sectors.

Dr. De Silva, with her grassroot knowledge of polymer science, rubber technology, and sustainable materials engineering, is a pivotal individual at NZPA, a government-supported national platform housed at the University of Auckland.

“Our role is to bridge the gap between the capabilities of research and the needs of industry. We do not dump deep science on the companies but rather provide them with targeted, timely, and low-risk R&D for rapid commercialisation,” she explains. NZPA engages over 100 researchers across seven universities and two Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) in building an innovation hub.

Dr. De Silva’s professional and personal background is in Sri Lanka. As a former Deputy Director of Research in Technology at the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka (RRISL), she has played an important role in opening up overseas markets for Sri Lankan rubber manufacturers.

“With my background and strong links in both countries, I’m in a unique position to connect Sri Lankan SMEs with NZ’s advanced technological solutions,” she notes.

Her most recent collaboration with EML Consultants aligns with their vision to create climate-resilient, low-carbon infrastructure in the Asia and Middle Eastern region. “EML’s regional development and sustainability initiatives are perfectly positioned to utilise NZPA’s cutting-edge capability—whether it is robotics, AI application for agritech, air quality sensors, or green materials in infrastructure,” she says.

The NZPA engagement model—Engage, Define, Connect, Deliver—is designed for practical application. It allows EML to harness New Zealand’s cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, including seaweed-based cosmetics, geothermal nano-silica for green tires (already commercialised in Sri Lanka), and tropical climate sustainable coatings.

These collaborations not only de-risk R&D investment for Sri Lankan SMEs but also accelerate their entry into international markets.

Dr. De Silva mentions a recent success. “We re-engineered pylons that are installed on New Zealand’s horse racing tracks. The client had no idea that rubber could be a viable solution, but we supplied a durable, UV-resistant product within three months—available for mass production. This is the kind of fast, applied innovation that might also be available for Sri Lankan businesses.”

Beyond materials science, Dr. De Silva points to the possibilities of taking Sri Lankan innovation to a policy platform. She mentions New Zealand’s forward-thinking approach, for example, the assignment of a dedicated Manufacturing Minister and national respect for researchers. “It would be wonderful if Sri Lanka too institutionalised to reward scientists and engineers in commercialisation, not just in academia but also in the private sector.”

As a last candidate for the Excellence in Leadership in manufacturing award in New Zealand, Dr. De Silva is a strong testimony of what can be accomplished through cross-border collaboration. Her message to Sri Lankan stakeholders is clear-cut: “Tap into New Zealand’s proven innovation models. Collaborations like EML and NZPA are just the beginning—together, we can build a more sustainable, inclusive, and technologically advanced future.”

This joint effort between NZPA and EML Consultants offers a new page in Sri Lanka’s journey towards sustainable production and infrastructure development—informed by science, driven by collaboration, and focused on pragmatic outcomes.