Mr. Selvaratnam Uthaiyashankar

What does it take to turn academic research into a real-world tech product? This session aims to answer that question through a dynamic conversation led by an industry expert with firsthand experience in bridging theory and practice. Designed specifically for student researchers across the computing spectrum, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computer networks, robotics, data engineering, software, and hardware systems, this session will provide insight into how ideas nurtured in university labs can evolve into impactful, scalable technologies. Participants will gain a behind-the-scenes look at the development process: how companies align research with user needs, what trade-offs are made during product design, and how technical teams adapt when shifting from proof-of-concept to production-ready solutions. You’ll also explore the challenges of working within tight real-world constraints like time, budget, and platform limitations. Most importantly, this session is built to inspire. It will encourage young researchers to think beyond academic papers, to see their work as a foundation for innovation that can improve lives, solve local and global problems, and drive career-defining opportunities. Whether you’re working on a neural network, a mobile app, a network protocol, or a robotics system, you’ll walk away with a clearer vision of how to move from research to relevance.

Biographical Profile:

Mr. Selvaratnam Uthaiyashankar has over 17 years of experience in the technology space spanning multiple functions, including web services, cloud deployments, solutions architecture, and engineering. He started his career at Millennium IT in a project that involved telecommunication billing systems. He joined WSO2 in 2007 and played many roles before taking on his current role of overseeing engineering. His previous work at WSO2 included contributing to web services implementation for C/C++/PHP/Perl, managing StratosLive deployment in the Cloud, and working directly with customers as part of the solutions architecture teams.
In his current role, Shankar oversees WSO2’s integration business unit and is responsible for driving product and go-to-market strategies.
He holds a BSc Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
When he’s not absorbed in product development in the technology world, you will find Shankar buried in books on various topics and genres. He claims he could spend hours or days doing nothing but reading.