The Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering at the University of Moratuwa successfully concluded the third annual Textile Engineering Research Symposium (TERS 2025) on 1st October 2025. The symposium, held at the department’s New Auditorium, served as a platform to showcase research conducted across fourteen key thematic areas within textile engineering. It brought together undergraduate, postgraduate, and international researchers, providing an avenue for the dissemination of research findings and fostering constructive dialogue between academia and industry to promote collaborative innovation in the textile sector.
This year’s symposium was sponsored by MAS Capital (Pvt) Ltd and Twinery Innovation by MAS (Pvt) Ltd for the third consecutive time reflecting their continued commitment to advancing research in the textile and apparel sector benefitting to the Sri Lankan Textile and Apparel Industry.
The proceedings commenced with a welcome address delivered by Eng. S. N. Niles, Head of the Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering, followed by addresses from Dr. D. P. Chandrasekara, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University, and Prof. J. M. A. Manatunge, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. Dr. Gayani K. Nandasiri, the Symposium Chair, subsequently delivered the introductory remarks, highlighting the significant improvements the third roll out of TERS had including the paper submission and reviewing via Microsoft CMT platform and the participation of international researchers for both technical and poster sessions. She further extended her appreciation to the organizing committee and for the sponsors for their generous support.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Dilru Ratnaweera, Director of Technology Innovation at Twinery Innovation by MAS (Pvt) Ltd., on the theme “Engineering the Apparel Industry of Tomorrow: Where Innovation Meets Fashion.” His insightful talk emphasized the integration of technology, creativity, and sustainability as pivotal drivers in the transformation of the contemporary textile and apparel industry.
TERS 2025 featured two parallel technical sessions and a poster presentation session, providing a comprehensive platform for knowledge exchange. The technical sessions showcased the highest-rated research papers, fostering constructive dialogue among students, academics, and industry professionals. The poster session featured sixteen posters, offering an engaging and interactive environment for participants to present and discuss their research outcomes.
The symposium concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions across multiple categories, including Best Paper, Best Poster, and Best Poster – Popular Choice. The awardees were presented with certificates and cash prizes in recognition of their academic excellence and research achievements.
