Ten Sri Lankan ICT companies entered the Japanese market and generated over 300 leads and networking outcomes at Japan IT Week Spring 2026, with future business prospects estimated at more than USD 2 million, the Export Development Board (EDB) said.
“The programme created significant future business potential estimated at over USD 2.0 million, along with multiple partnership and joint venture opportunities,” the EDB said in a statement quoted by EconomyNext. “It served as a strong market exposure and relationship building platform, strengthening Sri Lanka–Japan ICT collaboration and laying a solid foundation for future business conversions.”
The exhibition ran from April 6 to 10 at Tokyo Big Sight and marked Sri Lanka’s second consecutive participation. The country’s pavilion showcased solutions in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, software development and IT-enabled services.
The trip was facilitated by the EDB, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan. Before the main exhibition, delegates attended a Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support briefing, visited the H1O Hamamatsucho co-working complex and the Tokyo Innovation Base, and joined a B2B engagement seminar conducted by FRONTIER Co Ltd.
The EDB-JICA partnership initiated in 2024 supports about 30 ICT and BPM firms — including SMEs and startups — through business coaching, market intelligence and matchmaking with Japanese industry partners.
The Japan push lands as Sri Lanka’s broader services export performance has weakened. March goods exports were down 4.94% year-on-year and ICT/BPM services exports fell 26%, according to Central Bank data. Diversifying ICT export markets beyond traditional buyers has become a stated EDB priority alongside the government’s new digital remote-services guidelines.
