The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, attended a presentation on the Bhutan Innovation Lab (BIL), Bhutan’s National Innovation Platform, conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister of Bhutan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 04 September 2026, during her visit to Bhutan to participate as the Keynote Speaker at the inaugural Global Conscious Food Systems Summit.
The Bhutan Innovation Lab (BIL) is Bhutan’s national innovation platform, established under the Office of the Bhutan’s Prime Minister in partnership with UNDP. It is a Prime Minister-led initiative that seeks to harness innovation, entrepreneurship and technology to transform governance and accelerate economic development. The Lab serves as a bridge between government policy and entrepreneurs, innovators and other stakeholders, facilitating the development of promising ideas from concept to practical implementation.
The presentation highlighted how the BIL supports the priority areas of the Prime Minister of Bhutan by translating them into practical and innovative solutions, while contributing to the implementation of the Bhutan’s Economic Roadmap, promoting entrepreneurship and creating new economic opportunities. The Lab also seeks to improve public service delivery through innovation and digital solutions and to foster collaboration among government agencies, entrepreneurs, innovators, businesses and development partners.
The Sri Lankan delegation, led by Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, gained valuable insights into the key challenges and opportunities encountered by Bhutan in implementing the initiatives of the Bhutan Innovation Lab (BIL). The presentation provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on how such innovative mechanisms could contribute to economic transformation, public-sector innovation, and the creation of new opportunities for young entrepreneurs and innovators.
The Sri Lankan delegation also shared Sri Lanka’s experiences, perspectives, and lessons learned in through Citra Social Innovation Lab, established in 2019 and being continued as a joint initiative of the Office of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Cabinet Secretary of Bhutan, Director General’s of the Prime Minister’s Office of Bhutan, representatives of UNDP -Bhutan and team of the Bhutan innovation lab attended the presentation and the discussion.
