‘Smart Drain’, designed and developed by Dr. Nadeesha Chandrasena and team from Sri Lanka, was among the ten winners of the prestigious WIPO Global Awards which celebrate world changing innovations in health, climate, agrifood, creative industries and ICT. The prestigious award ceremony was held in Geneva on 11 July 2025, where WIPO Director General Daren Tang presented the trophies to the winning innovators.
WIPO Global Awards recognize startups and Small and Medium Enterprises that have successfully leveraged Intellectual Property to transform their innovations into tangible economic and social impact. The winners were selected by a diverse, independent international jury with unique expertise in IP, innovation, the creative industries, investment and business.
‘Smart Drains’ is a storm water drainage system designed to prevent urban flooding when even conventional drains are blocked by waste, and offers a practical and scalable solution for climate resilient infrastructure preventing drain overflow by separating solid matter from the drain water and allowing interruption-free operation.
This is the first time that a Sri Lankan invention has won this prestigious award from WIPO. Smart Drain was awarded the trophy under the environment category, while the 10 winners were selected from a highly competitive list of more than 800 applicants across 95 countries.
More information about Smart Drain is available at https://smartdrain.network/.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN
Geneva
11th July 2025