Trinity College, Kandy has always had its share of innovators and inventors, with many earning recognition at national and international levels for their ingenuity. Building on this tradition, the Automotive Society teamed up with Mr Richard Nikapitiya, an Industrial Product Development Consultant and established innovator, to give young Trinitians the knowledge and guidance needed to develop their ideas into industry-standard products.
Initial planning began in mid-2026, with the structure, content and method of delivery carefully designed to suit the students of Trinity College. Mr Richard also put considerable effort into refining the presentations and practical activities to make the workshop both useful and engaging. He prepared 1,410 slides, which were presented and discussed during the session, with time to spare.
The workshop was held at the Napier Multi-purpose Learning Arena on 19 September 2026. It covered the process of developing an idea into a design concept, including engineering drawings, material selection, prototyping, finishing and the development of a commercially viable product. Patent procedures, patent rights and design rights were also discussed. The session concluded with a group practical activity, allowing students to apply what they had learnt.
The workshop was also open to students from other schools. Students from the Young Inventors’ Clubs of Hillwood College and Dharmaraja College participated alongside students from the Middle and Upper Schools of Trinity College.
The eight-hour workshop gave students practical insight into taking an idea beyond a prototype and towards a production-ready product. They learnt about material selection and sourcing, preparing engineering drawings, and the steps involved in developing a product for the market. The workshop also challenged the common belief that good production standards can only be achieved with access to large-scale manufacturing facilities.
The Automotive Society extends its appreciation to the IT Department, Media Unit, College Stores and Maintenance Workshops for their support with equipment, materials and infrastructure, as well as to the Media Unit for its coverage of the event. The College Administration also provided guidance and support throughout the planning and delivery of the workshop, helping make it a useful learning experience for the Trinity community.
Article by Mr Subash Dhanasekara (MIC, Automotive Society)
