ADB forum spotlights Sri Lanka’s vision to become a ‘Serendib of Trust’ in the digital world

Event marks the farewell of one leader and ambitious plans of another

- BY SANATH NANAYAKKARE

At the Asian Development Bank’s Serendipity Knowledge Programme (SKOP) held at Shangri-La, Colombo, on October 15, a powerful narrative for Sri Lanka's future unfolded, woven from a visionary national strategy and the oncoming poignant farewell of a departing architect of international cooperation.

The day’s discussions on cybersecurity and data protection concluded on a personal note from Takafumi Kadono, the ADB's departing Country Director for Sri Lanka. In what he noted was his final SKOP workshop, Kadono reflected on the critical nature of the day's topic. He confessed the forum had been an ‘eyeopener,’ revealing that the challenges of cybersecurity are not merely technological, but represent a whole threat to development and progress and an obstacle to the acceleration of the digital ecosystem. His perspective was shaped by stark international examples shared at the forum, such as Japan's experience with a ransomware attack that halted Asahi's beer production and another that crippled the Nagoya Port, alongside insights from Malaysia's data privacy journey.