Are awards the only motive?

Two years ago, I read with interest that the University of Moratuwa had won a Presidential Award for Research and Development of a local Tea Colour Separator. As a private tea factory owner, I was so happy as we could be proud of the benefit of a local machine instead of an expensive foreign machine.

Sadly, nothing appears to have happened about its commercial production.

Is this because the Council of Moratuwa University is trying to make a huge profit and is not giving out the technology or is it that the Moratuwa University is doing research only to win Presidential Awards and have a "feather in their caps"? Why not make the technology freely available to the industry as the Presidential Award has already granted rewards?

It is time that the Dons of the University re-think their commitment and one would most certainly like to know what has happened in the last two years since winning the Presidential Award (which perhaps is gathering dust in a cupboard in the University).

By Private tea factory owner