Organised as part of the official AsiaBerlin Summit Week 2026, the Sri Lanka Innovation X-Change is a satellite event hosted by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in partnership with Venture Café Berlin and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Germany.
Building on Sri Lanka's Island of Ingenuity national technology brand, the event brings Sri Lankan innovators together with European business, market and innovation ecosystems. Moving beyond a traditional country or startup showcase, the X-Change creates a platform to exchange perspectives, build connections and explore how ideas, markets and partnerships can come together to create international opportunities. The programme moves from context → innovation → exchange → connection, followed by networking and direct engagement with the participating startups.
5:00 - 5:30 PM Registration
Formal Programme
5:30 - 5:35 PM Curtain Raiser - Island of Ingenuity Sri Lanka's innovation story - from a long tradition of ingenuity to today's technology innovators
5:35 - 5:45 PM Official Welcome & Opening
Indumini Kodikara - Director, Export Services, Sri Lanka Export Development Board
5:45 - 6:00 PM European Perspective – Innovation Across Borders: New Opportunities for Europe and Asia
Tobias Pierlings - Head of Division, External Economic Policy: South/Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (TBC)
6:00 - 6:10 PM 10 × Innovation = 10 Startups. 10 Innovations. One X-Change.
10 Sri Lankan technology startups - rapid introduction to the innovations and connections represented by the delegation:
6:10 - 6:30 PM X-Change Conversation (Panel Discussion) Ideas × Markets × Partnerships
What turns innovation into international opportunity?
A moderated exchange exploring how innovation becomes relevant across markets, how innovators build visibility and trust internationally, and what creates meaningful partnerships between innovators, businesses, markets and
innovation ecosystems.
Panelists:
• Stefan Schütze Tobar - Import Promotion Desk (IPD), Germany
• Tobias Loitsch – Head of International Market Entry. Europe and Asia,
NeoMarketWays
• Dr Rainer Seider - President/Chairman, Asia Berlin Forum
• Manori Unambuwe - AsiaBerlin Ambassador
Moderator: Ewa Geresz, Director - Venture Café Berlin
6:30 - 8:00 PM The X-Change Connections
Networking Session - Meet the Sri Lankan startups, experience their innovations and connect directly with founders, speakers, business leaders and innovation ecosystem participants.

