{"id":16600,"date":"2026-06-03T12:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T06:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/?p=16600"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T06:42:52","slug":"ai-and-data-analytics-summit-2026-drives-the-nations-digital-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/?p=16600","title":{"rendered":"AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026 Drives the Nation\u2019s Digital Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16603\" style=\"width:427px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Deshan-Liyanage-Co-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-scaled.jpg 1706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Mr. Deshan Liyanage, Co-Chair of the AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026 Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<strong>AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026 organised by the Sri Lanka Section of <\/strong>BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT was successfully held on <strong>22<sup>nd<\/sup> May 2026<\/strong>&nbsp;at Waters Edge, Colombo. The high-impact summit themed <strong>\u201cNext Generation AI &amp; Data Analytics: Skills &amp; Thoughts for the Intelligent Future\u201d <\/strong>brought together senior policymakers, global technology experts, industry leaders, academics, and innovators to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics are reshaping the nation\u2019s digital and economic future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event, endorsed by the Ministry of Digital Economy, was graced by Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, who attended as the Guest of Honour, underscoring the government\u2019s strong commitment to advancing AI adoption, digital innovation, and data-driven governance in support of Sri Lanka\u2019s broader public sector transformation agenda. Dr. Sadeep Jayasumana, Chief Scientist at Octave, delivered the keynote address on Generative AI, sharing insights into its transformative potential.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Prof.-Lasith-Gunawardena-Chairman-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Prof.-Lasith-Gunawardena-Chairman-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Prof.-Lasith-Gunawardena-Chairman-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Prof.-Lasith-Gunawardena-Chairman-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Prof. Lasith Gunawardena, Chairman the Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Speaking on the significance of the summit,&nbsp;<strong>Prof. Lasith Gunawardena, Chairman the Sri Lanka Section of <\/strong>BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT noted that Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics have become present-day enablers of innovation, economic growth, and societal progress. He emphasized that the summit was guided by BCS\u2019s purpose of Making IT Good for Society and by the national need to bring together thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the responsible adoption of transformative technologies, thereby strengthening Sri Lanka\u2019s digital readiness and supporting a resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"425\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Ransith-Fernando-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-Member-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Ransith-Fernando-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-Member-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT.png 425w, https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mr.-Ransith-Fernando-Chair-of-the-AI-and-Data-Analytics-Summit-2026-Executive-Committee-Member-of-the-Sri-Lanka-Section-of-BCS-the-Chartered-Institute-for-IT-244x300.png 244w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Mr. Ransith Fernando, Chair of the AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026, Executive Committee Member of the Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Mr. Ransith Fernando, Chair of the summit<\/strong> mentioned \u201c<em> This year\u2019s summit brought together 21 speakers who shared valuable insights, ideas, and experiences. We heard inspiring success stories, gained practical knowledge from industry practitioners, and explored strategic perspectives from business leaders. These conversations highlighted both the opportunity and the responsibility before us. While innovation is accelerating globally, Sri Lanka must align policy, talent, and industry readiness to truly operationalize AI at scale and ensure an inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Deshan Liyanage, Co-Chair of the AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026 commented that this year\u2019s summit was a fully sold-out event, reflecting the growing national momentum around Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in Sri Lanka. He extended heartfelt gratitude to all participants who joined and contributed to the success of the summit, as well as to the sponsors whose support made the event possible. Special appreciation was conveyed to <strong>Sysco LABS<\/strong> as the Strategic Partner, <strong>Linear Six<\/strong> as the Bronze Partner, <strong>InTalent Asia<\/strong> as the Resource Partner, and <strong>Motivista<\/strong> as the Event Partner. He also acknowledged the valuable collaboration of industry associations including <strong>SLASSCOM<\/strong>, <strong>FITIS<\/strong>, and <strong>CSSL<\/strong>, whose partnership helped strengthen and elevate the initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The&nbsp;AI and Data Analytics Summit 2026 organised by the Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT was successfully held on 22nd May 2026&nbsp;at Waters Edge, Colombo. The high-impact summit themed \u201cNext Generation AI &amp; Data Analytics: Skills [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16604,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16600\/revisions\/16604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterprisenews.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}