SLASSCOM, Sri Lanka’s national chamber for the IT/BPM industry and a trailblazer in the sector, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (ECCSL).

The MOU is a part of SLASSCOM’s continuous efforts to boost the Sri Lankan IT/BPM industry to reach global heights through the facilitation and promotion of trade and investments between members of ECCSL and the members of SLASSCOM in relation to knowledge and innovation solutions, thereby setting a mutually beneficial environment for long-term cooperation between the members of the two chambers.

The MOU also reflects the importance which ECCSL attaches to the IT/BPM sectors and the success of its members which are active in the sectors.

Present at the signing were SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra de Zoysa, ECCSL President Arnold Perera, SLASSCOM Board Member Shiraz Lye, ECCSL Consultant R. Dougie Douglas, SLASSCOM Executive Director Chaminda de Silva, and SLASSCOM Corporate Office Programme Manager Lakshmi Jaliyagodage.

SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra de Zoysa highlighted the goals SLASSCOM hopes to achieve through partnerships such as this and outlined that their key focus areas included women-led startups, partnerships with state and non-state organizations, and in building Sri Lanka as a destination for emerging technologies such as A.I. cybersecurity and intelligent automation. She stated “we work with the industry in general, local establishments and academia, to support the industry with as many opportunities as possible, in order to harness the creation of 1,000 startups, in line with our vison for 2025 “.

She further outlined the importance of this partnership with a focus placed on the growing concerns on sustainability in Europe, by saying “Europe is leading the charge in terms of sustainability, and we want to utilise this opportunity to collaborate, learn and connect with those from Europe who might be able to help Sri Lanka become a green destination. This we know will find much favor for doing business with European countries, especially due to the Green Deal Europe is implementing. In the future, non-compliance will lead to taxation and Europe is one of the most vital regions for Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry, so this therefore is an important collaboration for us.”

ECCSL President Arnold Perera, sharing his thoughts added: “Our purpose through partnerships of this nature is to promote, foster, support and strengthen trade and commercial links between Sri Lanka and Europe. When the chamber was created in 1996, we only covered the member countries of the European Union, but we have now expanded that scope, covering all of the countries in the continent of  Europe, which includes five of Sri Lanka’s top ten markets.”

Given this context, SLASSCOM’s partnership with the ECCSL is a timely one, as the European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka is uniquely positioned to help further the nation’s goal of promoting the growth of the IT/BPM industry due to their vast and variegated international network comprising valuable European partners. This allows for much-needed expansion and investment opportunities across borders. Going forward, the two chambers will utilise this partnership to align and work towards ‘stimulating, strengthening, and promoting economic and business relations’ between Sri Lanka and all the countries across Europe. 

SLASSCOM is a catalyst of growth for the Sri Lankan IT/BPM industry, facilitating trade and business, propagation of education and employment, encouraging research and innovation and by influencing a national policy framework of value to the industry. With over 350 member companies, who account for nearly 90% of the IT-BPM industry export revenue, SLASSCOM drives the Imagination Economy: Sri Lanka’s ‘industry of the future’, with the potential to become the #1 export revenue earner for Sri Lanka by 2025.

The European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka was founded in 1996. Its primary objective is to stimulate, strengthen and promote economic and business relations between Sri Lanka and the countries of Europe. ECCSL seeks to provide efficient and professional information, advisory, consultative, promotional and representative linkages and facilitate business connections between Sri Lankan and European business entities.