Wins ‘Best Innovation in Internal Process, Technology or Framework’ category for the third consecutive year
Sysco LABS was recognized with top honors at the SLASSCOM National Ingenuity Awards 2025, winning both the Western Province and National awards in the ‘Best Innovation in Internal Process, Technology or Framework’ category for its proprietary solution, SAGE: the Sysco Agentic Eco-System built by colleagues from the company’s Enterprise Architecture Group (EAG).
This marks the third consecutive year that Sysco LABS has secured the national title in this category, showcasing continued impact in delivering innovative technology solutions to its parent company, Sysco Corporation—the world’s largest foodservice distributor.
Commenting on the win, Nishantha Hettiarachchi, Director – Engineering & Architecture at Sysco LABS, said: “At Sysco LABS, we’re constantly exploring how emerging technologies can be applied to transform global foodservice. With SAGE, we’ve tapped into one of the most current and transformative tech trends—agentic AI. The team’s ability to rapidly adopt and adapt this technology into a scalable internal solution is a reflection of our innovation-first culture. Wins like this validate our approach of engineering with purpose.”
As enterprises increasingly turn to agentic AI—autonomous systems capable of goal-directed decision-making and task execution—the potential for improving productivity, efficiency and business outcomes is accelerating. According to Gartner, by 2026, over 20% of enterprise applications will include agentic AI components, enabling teams to automate complex workflows and make data-driven decisions with minimal human input.
Speaking about the Sysco LABS approach to innovation and ingenuity – Rasika Karunatilake, Managing Director of Sysco LABS, said, “This recognition reflects the consistent value we deliver to Sysco through homegrown innovation. Teams are continuously encouraged to keep pushing the envelope and think about ways to drive meaningful change that can deliver real value. Winning this award for the third consecutive year speaks volumes about the ingenuity of our teams and their ability to continuously solve complex challenges at scale.”
Organized annually by SLASSCOM, the National Ingenuity Awards celebrate excellence in technology and innovation across all regions in Sri Lanka, recognizing outstanding contributions that are shaping the future of the digital economy.
