Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT) ( si, italic=yes, නවීන තාක්ෂණය පිළිබඳ ආතර් සී. ක්ලාක් මධ්‍යස්ථානය ''Navina Takshanaya Pilibanda Athar Si. Klak Madhyasthanaya'') is an institute for research and technology transfer in Sri Lanka. It is named after its founder patron,

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

Arthur C. Clarke, the famous British science fiction author, inventor and

futurist Futurists (also known as futurologists, prospectivists, foresight practitioners and horizon scanners) are people whose specialty or interest is futurology or the attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities abo ...

. The institute is mainly focused on conducting research in the fields of electronics, micro-electronics, telecommunications, information technology, space technologies and robotics, and providing training for relevant industry professionals. It is one of the few institutions of this kind in Sri Lanka.

History

The ACCIMT was established in 1984 by act of parliament, the ''Arthur C. Clarke Centre for Modern Technologies Act, No. 30 of 1984''. This institution, initially known as Arthur C. Clarke Centre, was renamed as the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, and re-established in a corporate form in 1994 by the ''Science And Technology Development Act, No. 11 of 1994''. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, Sri Lanka. In the same year, the ACCIMT was appointed as the national focal point for space technology applications, by the

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...

(UNESCAP). In 1996, the institute received a 45 cm GoTo Cassegrain reflector

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observ ...

as a donation by the Tokyo National Observatory via the

Government of Japan The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary stat ...

. It is the largest

optical telescope An optical telescope is a telescope that gathers and focuses light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, to create a magnified image for direct visual inspection, to make a photograph, or to collect data through elect ...

in Sri Lanka. Relevant technical assistance was provided by Besei Astronomical Observatory, Japan and the

South African Astronomical Observatory South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the national centre for optical and infrared astronomy in South Africa. It was established in 1972. The observatory is run by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. The facility's funct ...

. ACCIMT received the membership of Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) sponsored by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), as a result of activities carried out to popularize astronomy among the Sri Lankan community. ACCIMT hosted the 15th Session of the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee on the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (RESAP) in 2011. The program was conducted by the UNESCAP.

Services

Research and development

The institute conducts research in information and communications technology, electronics, microelectronics, space technology, Astronomy and robotics. Most of its research is aimed at promoting latest technology among government and the private sector industries in Sri Lanka.

Consultancy

The institute also provides industry-wide services for microprocessor based machinery, telecommunications systems, information systems and computer networks. In addition, diagnostic and calibration services are provided for sophisticated instrumentation, by its instrumentation division.

Training programs

ACCIMT conducts Continuing professional development, Continuing Professional Development programs for professionals and senior managers serving in local industries. It has also launched electronics workshops and astronomy outreach programs for school students in Sri Lanka. Library facilities are available for university students and the general public. Moreover, students selected for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics through the Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad are also trained at ACCIMT.

National Hub for Receiving and Redistribution Satellite Data for Earth Observation

The ACCIMT has negotiated with foreign agencies to receive the satellite data free of charge or at an affordable cost which will be stored in a server located at the ACCIMT and will be shared with the public sector organizations who use satellite data for national development. Infrastructure to receive and distribute Earth observation data and a ten-acre site for the proposed National Space Hub is identified in the Western Region Megapolis, Megapolis Master Plan for Western Province. The Satellite Ground Station will be installed at Mahenwatta in Pitipana, Homagama at the geographical location 6°49′ 38.48″N, 80° 2′ 8.20″E

Arthur C. Clarke memorial lecture

Since the passing of Sir Arthur C. Clarke in 2008, the institute conducts an Arthur C. Clarke Memorial Lecture, annually. The lecture is delivered by a prominent scientist in the field of space science. List of scientists to deliver the lecture so far: * 2009 - Doctor (title), Dr. Kasturirangan, Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization and a member of the Planning Commission (India), Planning Commission of India) * 2010 - Dr. Thirumalachari Ramasami (Secretary to the Department of Science and Technology (India), Department of Science and Technology, India) * 2011 - Dr. Mustafa Din Subari (Director General of the Malaysian National Space Agency) * 2012 - Professor, Prof. Suvit Vibulsresth (Founder-Executive Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization), Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand) * 2013 - * 2014 - * 2015 - * 2016 - Dr. Sarath Gunapala (Physicist and Director, Center for Infrared Photo Detectors, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, Pasadena, USA) ("Exploration of Our Solar System and Beyond")

References

External links

*
Looking at Heavens From the Pearl in the Indian Ocean: Web Based Telescope Controller that Accessible To All
{{authority control Arthur C. Clarke International research institutes Research institutes in Sri Lanka Space advocacy organizations Astronomical observatories in Sri Lanka 1984 establishments in Sri Lanka Organizations established in 1984