Sri Lankan engineer’s ‘Smart Drain’ innovation earns global recognition at WIPO Awards 2025
July 13, 2025 06:03 pm
Sri Lankan engineer Dr. Nadeesha Chandrasena has won a 2025 WIPO Global Award in the environment category for her innovative stormwater management solution, the ‘Smart Drain’.
The award, presented by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency that supports the world’s innovators and creators, recognizes inventions that use intellectual property to address global challenges and improve lives.
The awards ceremony was held in Geneva, Switzerland, with 780 institutions from 95 countries participating.
Notably, this is the first time a Sri Lankan has received this prestigious award.
The National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka (NIPO) and Access Engineering PLC, the research facility provider for the ‘Smart Drain’, have also contributed to the success of the project.