Dr. Andri Prima Nugroho: Learning from Singapore's SNAIC: Inspiration for Developing an AI Ecosystem for Smart Agriculture at UGM

SINGAPORE – The opportunity to participate in a benchmarking study visit to Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) on 11 June 2026 became an invaluable experience for me as a researcher at the Smart Agriculture Research Center (SARC) of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This visit is part of UGM's strategic initiative in preparing the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem that can address the real needs of industry and society.

The UGM team participating in this activity consisted of dr. Dian Kesumapramudya Nurputra, Sp.A., Ph.D., Dr. Nur Mohammad Farda, S.Si., M.Cs., Ir. Andri Prima Nugroho, S.T.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Muhammad Alif Taufiqurrahman, S.Kom., M.Kom.. The four team members represented different fields of expertise, ranging from health, remote sensing, smart agriculture, to information systems and digital transformation.

This visit is part of UGM's strategic initiative in preparing the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem that can address the real needs of industry and society. Through collaboration being pioneered with NVIDIA and industry partners, UGM is developing the concept of an AI center that not only serves as a hub for excellent research, but is also capable of accelerating innovation transfer and digital transformation across various strategic sectors.

During the visit, the UGM team had the opportunity to visit the SIT x NVIDIA AI Centre (SNAIC), a leading AI center developed through collaboration between Singapore Institute of Technology and NVIDIA. We were received directly by Associate Professor Daniel Wang Zhengkui as Co-Director of SNAIC, along with Associate Professor Aik Beng Ng, Dr. Timothy Liu, and a number of researchers and research engineers involved in various strategic AI projects in Singapore.

AI Rooted in Industry Needs

One of the most important lessons I learned from SNAIC is how all of their research activities are grounded in industry needs. Unlike conventional academic approaches that often begin with scientific interest alone, SNAIC builds research based on real problems faced by industry sectors and society.

The collaboration model applied is also highly systematic. The process begins with identifying partner needs through a pre-engagement questionnaire, followed by technical consultation, solution design, technology development, and training and human resource capacity-building programs.

This approach provides highly relevant inspiration for the development of UGM's Smart Agriculture Research Center. As a research center focused on digital transformation in agriculture, SARC not only needs to produce quality scientific publications, but also must be able to provide services and solutions that deliver real impact for farmers, the food industry, government, and the broader society.

Agriculture as UGM's Flagship AI Implementation

In various discussions with SNAIC researchers, I saw significant potential for the agriculture sector to become one of the flagship implementations of AI in Indonesia.

Indonesia faces complex challenges in food security, ranging from land productivity, water and fertilizer use efficiency, climate change mitigation, to farmer regeneration. These challenges require a data-driven approach and smart technology capable of producing quick and accurate decisions.

As a researcher in the field of Agricultural Informatics, I see that AI can play an important role in various aspects of modern agriculture, including:

Plant monitoring systems based on sensors and Internet of Things (IoT);
Analysis of drone and satellite imagery for monitoring plant growth;
Prediction of harvest yield and risk of crop failure;
Optimization of water and nutrient use with precision;
Development of agricultural digital twins;
AI-based decision support systems for farmers and extension workers;
Integration of Large Language Models (LLM) as intelligent assistants in the agriculture sector.

Through these discussions, we also introduced various initiatives being developed at UGM, particularly through the Smart Agriculture Research Center, which seeks to integrate AI technology with the needs of Indonesia's agriculture sector.

Learning from World-Class AI Center Governance

Beyond observing various technology demonstrations such as AI Debater, Automated Visual Acuity Testing (AutoVA), and the VISio platform that can automatically transform flowcharts into AI workflows, I was also interested in the governance aspects of the research center applied by SNAIC.

SNAIC develops three main pillars, namely:

Industry Enablement;
Applied Research and Development;
Talent Development.

This model enables a research center to serve not only as a place of research, but also as a bridge between academia, industry, government, and society.

For UGM's Smart Agriculture Research Center, this approach provides inspiration regarding the importance of establishing clear niche expertise, building a portfolio of professional services, and creating sustainability models that are not only dependent on research grants, but also through consulting services, system development, training, and industry collaboration.

Furthermore, the professional website presentation and branding of SNAIC demonstrate how a research center can build credibility and international visibility through good communication to the public and prospective partners.

Opening International Collaboration Opportunities

The discussion was then continued in a more relaxed atmosphere during lunch together in the Punggol area of Singapore. During this opportunity, various collaboration opportunities between UGM and SIT were discussed in greater depth, ranging from joint publications, submission of international research proposals, student and staff exchange programs, to opportunities for further studies for UGM students.

For me, international collaboration such as this is very important for accelerating the development of AI research capacity in Indonesia. Current challenges in the agriculture, food, health, and environmental sectors are global in nature and require cross-country and cross-disciplinary cooperation.

Toward an AI Ecosystem for Indonesian Agriculture

The visit to SNAIC provided a real picture of how an AI center can become a catalyst for national innovation through close collaboration between universities, industry, and government.

As part of UGM's Smart Agriculture Research Center, I see that this experience can serve as an important reference in building a leading AI center focused on transforming Indonesian agriculture. With strong ecosystem support, international collaboration, and a focus on solving real problems in the field, AI has the potential to become one of the main drivers for creating an agriculture system that is more productive, sustainable, and resilient to future challenges.

Through learning from SNAIC, we are increasingly optimistic that Indonesia has great opportunities to become one of the centers of AI innovation in the Southeast Asia region, particularly in the development of smart technology for the agriculture and food sectors.

For me, this visit not only provided insight into cutting-edge AI technology, but also showed how an AI center can be built sustainably through synergy among universities, industry, and government. Learning from SNAIC became a very valuable reference in the process of developing the NVIDIA AI Technology Center (NVAITC) at UGM. With the multidisciplinary research strength that UGM possesses, including agriculture, health, environment, and digital transformation, we are optimistic that the AI center being pioneered can become a catalyst for the emergence of impactful innovations for Indonesia.

Contributor: Dr. Andri Prima Nugroho, Research Coordinator Smart Agriculture Research Center, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering UGM