Author: Umaya Bhashini Balagalla



After a period of dormancy since 2022, the IEEE EMBS Sri Lanka chapter has revived its activities through raising awareness, promoting Biomedical Engineering (BME), Pre-U activities, and supporting Student Branch Chapters (SBCs) through various activities. However, challenges persist, including a limited number of BME professionals and low engagement due to a lack of awareness. To address this, we have organized a series of networking sessions connecting BME professionals and undergraduates, fostering collaboration and growth within the EMBS community while strengthening its impact in Sri Lanka.

EMBS Community Meet-up

The IEEE EMBS Community Meet-Up was held on December 21, 2024, at the University of Moratuwa, bringing together key stakeholders in Sri Lanka’s BME sector. The event featured biomedical engineers, medical doctors, policymakers, and academics, along with representatives from the IEEE Sri Lanka Section and EMBS SBCs. This interactive session provided a valuable platform to exchange ideas and perspectives on advancing BME in Sri Lanka. The roundtable discussion led to meaningful insights, strengthened collaborations, and set a clear direction for future initiatives. The discussion explored BME education both locally and globally, identifying key gaps and areas for improvement. A major concern was the limited retention of BME graduates within Sri Lanka, highlighting the need for better career opportunities. Additionally, while successful ventures like MAS’s BioTab (ranked UK’s No. 1 and US’s No. 2) demonstrate the potential of Sri Lanka’s biomedical industry, their visibility remains low. Increased support for startups was also recognized as a crucial step. Following these discussions, the IEEE EMBS Sri Lanka Chapter has set key objectives for 2025 and has already begun implementing new initiatives. Ongoing efforts include engaging policymakers to strengthen biomedical engineering regulations, developing a national medical image database to support healthcare advancements, and introducing an IEEE Credentialing Program on Medical Technology. Additionally, plans are underway to increase industrial visits and support undergraduates in launching startups through competitions in collaboration with the IEEE Sri Lanka Section. Our efforts extend beyond these initiatives, and we remain open to collaborations with anyone passionate about advancing BME in Sri Lanka.

EMBS Connect

Our efforts have also extended to supporting IEEE EMBS SBCs, helping them to initiate new projects and establish new SBCs. However, we identified a lack of connection between SBCs, which has hindered their collective growth. To address this, we organized EMBS Connect in collaboration with the IEEE EMBS SBC of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ). The event took place on January 10, 2025, at USJ, bringing together representatives from the IEEE EMBS Sri Lanka Chapter, EMBS SBC advisors, and enthusiastic student volunteers from five universities. It was inspiring to see a diverse group of volunteers from medical sciences, applied sciences, and computing, breaking the traditional perception that EMBS is limited to technology and engineering. The event provided a valuable platform for networking and brainstorming potential collaborations among SBCs.