Innovate
Submit AI-powered ideas and abstracts that solve real problems for the Eastern Province and beyond.
Submission portal[ AI SYMPOSIUM & INNOVATION COMPETITION · SRI LANKA · GRAND FINALE 11–12 NOV 2026 ]
AI HORIZON2026 EASTERN PROVINCE
AI SYMPOSIUM & INNOVATION COMPETITIONOrganised by the Provincial Ministry of Education
New minds. New dawn. New possibilities.
This is a competition. Teams across four categories — school, undergraduate, open innovation and government — enter an AI idea, get free workshops and mentors, and the shortlisted teams compete live at the Grand Finale symposium & expo.
4 CATEGORIES / JUL–NOV PROGRAMME / EASTERN PROVINCE / FREE ENTRY
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
School students / undergraduates / open innovators, startups & professionals / government institutions across the Eastern Province — four competition categories, one shared stage. Everyone building the province's AI future.
01 / ABOUT
About AI Horizon 2026 — the Eastern Province AI Symposium & Innovation Competition
AI Horizon 2026 is a province-wide AI symposium and innovation competition organised by the Provincial Ministry of Education, Eastern Province. It runs July–November 2026 as awareness sessions, free workshops and mentorship wrapped around a staged competition — bringing school students, undergraduates, open innovators and government institutions together under one horizon, and ending in a Grand Finale symposium and expo where the finalist teams present and the winners are awarded.
Collaborate
Work with like-minded peers, mentors, and industry leaders across the innovation ecosystem.
Browse domains
Learn
Workshops, awareness sessions and structured mentorship led by industry and university mentors.
Meet the speakers
Transform
Be part of the Eastern Province's AI journey and help build a smarter, more connected region.
Register02 / OBJECTIVES
Why we gather
Inspire innovation
Motivate students and young innovators to design AI-based solutions for Eastern Province challenges.
Build capacity
Upskill the next generation in AI, machine learning, data science and emerging technologies.
Connect ecosystems
Bridge academia, industry, startups and government into one innovation ecosystem.
Showcase talent
Provide a provincial stage to present, compete and gain recognition for outstanding projects.
Drive transformation
Accelerate the province's contribution to Sri Lanka's AI-powered digital economy and smart society.
Promote responsible AI
Champion ethical, inclusive and human-centred applications of Artificial Intelligence.
03 / DOMAINS
Open theme
No fixed tracks. Build an AI solution to any problem you care about — the domains below are examples to spark ideas, not limits.
AI & Machine Learning
Intelligent systems, deep learning, generative AI and NLP for real-world impact.
Robotics & Autonomous Systems
Smart machines, drones and automation transforming industry and daily life.
Smart Cities & IoT
Connected infrastructure, sensors and intelligent urban solutions.
Cybersecurity
Protecting the digital nation — AI-driven defence, privacy and trust.
Data Science & Analytics
Turning national data into insight, foresight and better decisions.
AgriTech & HealthTech
AI for farming, food security, clinics and community wellbeing.
EdTech, FinTech & Smart Gov
Smarter learning, inclusive finance and better public services.
AI for Social Good
Health, agriculture, education and sustainability powered by AI.
04 / SUBMISSION
Submit your abstract
Four steps from idea to the Grand Finale stage.
- 1
Register your team
The team lead registers the team — up to five members — and picks a category.
- 2
Choose your category
School, Undergraduate, Open Innovation or Government Institution — whichever fits.
- 3
Write your abstract
Set out the problem, your idea and how you use AI. Abstracts close 8 October 2026 — extended.
- 4
Build, mentor & pitch
Shortlisted teams get mentorship, then present live at the Grand Finale.
05 / SPEAKERS
Speakers, mentors & judges
Leaders in AI, research, industry and digital policy will guide, mentor and judge our innovators. Full lineup announced soon.
Speak at a sessionWe run daily online AI-literacy sessions across the Province — give an hour.
AI
To be announced
AI & Machine LearningIN
To be announced
Industry & Enterprise TechGV
To be announced
Digital GovernmentSU
To be announced
Startup & Innovation?
To be announced
Keynote06 / WORKSHOPS
Workshop sessions
- Build with Generative AI — prompt engineering to production apps.
- Machine Learning Bootcamp — from data to deployed models.
- Secure by Design — AI-era cybersecurity fundamentals.
- Robotics Lab — sensors, actuators and autonomy in action.
- Data Storytelling — analytics and visualisation that persuade.
07 / COMPETITIONS
Competition categories
- School — school students across the Eastern Province.
- Undergraduate — university students and research teams.
- Open Innovation — independent innovators, startups & professionals.
- Government Institution — public-sector teams solving real problems.
- Special Awards — Best Social Impact, Best Rural School, Best Female-Led & more.
08 / SCHEDULE
Important dates
T-MINUS · GRAND FINALE
--DAYS
--HRS
--MIN
--SEC
Registration & Call for Abstracts open
Portal opens for all four categories across the Eastern Province.
Abstract deadline — extended
Extended to Thursday 8 October. Final date to submit your abstract for screening.
Shortlist announced
Finalist teams notified, then paired with mentors through October.
Grand Finale — two days
Day 1, Wed 11 Nov — the Expo: showcases, booths and live finals. Day 2, Thu 12 Nov — the Awards. At the Chief Secretary's Secretariat, Eastern Province.
09 / AWARDS
Awards & recognition
CHAMPIONS
Category Champions
Champion, 1st and 2nd Runner-Up in each of the four categories — awarded as devices, kits and vouchers (not cash), on the Grand Finale stage.
GOV
Government Innovation Award
Best innovation from a public-sector institution.
IMPACT
Best Social Impact
Highest-impact solution for society, sustainability or inclusion.
SPECIAL
Special Awards
Best AI Innovation, Best Rural School, Best Female-Led Team & People's Choice.
10 / PARTNERS
Partners & sponsors
11 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who can participate in AI Horizon 2026?
Anyone in the Eastern Province across four categories — School students, Undergraduates, Open Innovation (independent innovators, startups and professionals) and Government Institutions. Each category has its own eligibility criteria — see the competition rules (C.1).
Is there a registration fee?
No. Entry is completely free for every category — this is a government-run programme of the Eastern Province Ministry of Education.
Can I enter as a team?
Yes. Teams of up to five members are welcome. The team lead registers the team and enters the other members.
What should my submission include?
Start with an abstract setting out the problem, your idea and how you use AI. Shortlisted teams then develop a prototype with mentor support and present it at the Grand Finale. Submissions are accepted in Tamil, Sinhala or English.
Where and when is the Grand Finale held?
The Grand Finale runs over two days at the Chief Secretary's Secretariat, Eastern Province — Wednesday 11 November 2026 is the expo day (showcases, booths and live finals) and Thursday 12 November 2026 is the awards ceremony. It is the culmination of a programme running July–November 2026 across the province and online.
12 / VOLUNTEER
Join us as a volunteer
A province-wide programme and a two-day Grand Finale do not run themselves. Registration desks, session support, the exhibition floor, photography, translation, school visits — it takes a team, and we are building it now. No experience needed.
Recognised by the Ministry
Every volunteer receives a certificate of volunteer service from the Provincial Ministry of Education, and their name in the programme's record of contributors.
Run an event at provincial scale
Work alongside government officers, industry partners and the organising team on an expo the Province's administration attends — the kind of experience that is hard to get any other way.
Be at the Grand Finale
11–12 November at the Chief Secretary's Secretariat. The expo, the finals and the awards — from the inside, not the audience.
Volunteer with usTwo minutes, no account. Tell us what you can do and when — we will find you a place.
14 / CONTACT
Contact information
- FINALE VENUE
- Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
- HOST
- Ministry of Education, Eastern Province
- [email protected]
- PHONE
- To be announced
- WEB
- www.aihorizon.lk