The recently held International Conference on Fire Safety and Resilience of the Built Environment, ICFIRE 2026, was a professional international industry Conference focused on advancing fire safety and resilience.
Organised by Amber Laboratory Ltd., in association with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), Sri Lanka Chapter, and the University of Moratuwa, the conference was held under the theme ‘Advancing Fire-Resilient Materials and Systems for Future-Proofing Sustainable Built Environments.’
ICFIRE 2026 brought together leading fire safety experts, engineers, architects, academics, policymakers, facility managers, and industry and fire service professionals. The two-day event featured keynote addresses, technical presentations, expert discussions, and a Practitioners’ Forum, providing a platform for knowledge-sharing and professional dialogue on emerging fire safety challenges.
The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Science and Technology Minister Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena. University of Melbourne, Australia Prof. Priyan Mendis was the Guest of Honor and delivered a keynote address on ‘Fire Engineering and Design: Emerging Trends in Performance Testing and Compliance.’ Australia and New Zealand Halliwell Fire Science Principal Dr. Ryan Hilditch and Sri Lanka and Maldives Airow Solutions Ltd., Group Director Eng. Vajira Attanayake were special guests.
ICFIRE 2026 featured presentations and contributions from a distinguished panel of local and international experts, including: Melbourne RMIT University Prof. Kate Nguyen, Halliwell Fire Science’s Dr. Imran Ahamed, CSEC Ltd., Eng Shiromal Fernando and Eng. Dilan Kahatapitiya; Institute of Engineering Sri Lanka President Eng Kosala Kamburadeniya; University of Moratuwa Dr. Pasindu Weerasinghe and Dr. Uthpala Rathnayake; ADV Consultants Architect Ashley De Vos; Design Team 3 Ltd., Architect Athula Amarasekera; Australia Forensic Origin and Cause Investigations Vithyaa Thavapalan, New Zealand University of Canterbury Dr. Atif Ali Khan, and University of Ruhuna Dr. Prabath Weerasinghe.
Discussions at ICFIRE 2026 focused on a broad range of issues affecting the safety and resilience of the built environment, including tall buildings, resilient cities, fire security, critical infrastructure, advanced structural systems and emerging approaches to infrastructure protection. A key objective of the conference was to examine how the built environment can respond to evolving fire risks through risk-conscious design, advanced engineering solutions, innovative materials and systems, and stronger approaches to infrastructure protection.
Amber Laboratory, which organised the conference, is Sri Lanka’s first Standard Fire Resistance Testing Laboratory. The laboratory was established to address the country’s growing fire safety requirements through internationally recognised standards and best practices. The facility brings together fire resistance testing of materials and assemblies, consultancy on fire safety, structural fire engineering and structural modelling, training and education, and research and development under one platform. Through this integrated approach, Amber Laboratory provides technical expertise, strengthens industry capacity, and promotes the high standards of fire safety, performance, and regulatory compliance, contributing to safer, more resilient, and future-ready built environments in Sri Lanka and across the region.
A significant component of ICFIRE 2026 was the Practitioners’ Forum, which sought to strengthen dialogue among professionals working across different sectors of the built environment and fire safety ecosystem. The forum provided a platform to discuss the proposed Colombo Declaration on Fire Resilience in the Built Environment (2026) and encouraged participants to engage directly with experts and representatives at the head table. Participants raised concerns, shared experiences and examined practical solutions to fire safety challenges affecting their respective sectors. The diversity of participants highlighted the cross-sector nature of fire safety and the importance of collaboration among building professionals, regulators, facility operators, emergency services, government institutions, defence forces and the fire protection industry. The discussions emphasised that improving fire resilience cannot be achieved by a single profession, government institution or industry acting independently. Instead, it requires sustained collaboration, knowledge-sharing and coordinated action among all stakeholders.
ICFIRE 2026 ultimately underscored the need to move beyond identifying existing shortcomings towards developing practical, achievable and collaborative approaches to improving fire safety and resilience across Sri Lanka’s built environment.