UNU Jogja Expands Innovation Impact, Kulon Progo Offers Smart Agriculture and MSME Partnership

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – The Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based smart farming program developed by Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) at Lintang Songo Islamic Boarding School in Bantul has attracted attention at the Forum on Optimizing Cooperation between the Kulon Progo Regency Government and Private Higher Education Institutions, facilitated by LLDIKTI Region V on Wednesday, June 3.

During the forum, UNU Jogja's smart farming initiative was recognized as a best practice with the potential to be replicated in supporting the development of modern agriculture in Kulon Progo Regency.

One of the innovations emerging from the smart farming ecosystem is a solar-powered automatic fish feeder, developed through the Community Partnership Program (PKM) funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) by a team of UNU Jogja lecturers and students.

The program, led by Restiadi Bayu Taruno, S.T., M.Eng., involved Ilham Unggara, S.Kom., M.Cs., and Joang Ipmawati, S.Kom., M.Kom., with field support provided by Yana Heriyana, S.T., M.Eng., Nur Azmi Ainul Bashir, S.Kom., M.Kom., and Zulkhairi, S.T., M.T. The technology was designed to improve the efficiency of fish farming while promoting the use of renewable energy within the Islamic boarding school environment.

In his remarks, the Head of LLDIKTI Region V, Prof. Setyabudi Indartono, M.M., Ph.D., emphasized that higher education institutions play a strategic role as development partners through research, innovation, and community engagement.

According to him, collaboration between local governments and universities needs to be strengthened so that various development challenges can be addressed through science- and technology-based approaches.

The Kulon Progo Regency Government also outlined several development challenges still faced by the region, including strengthening the agriculture and fisheries sectors to become more adaptive to technological advancements, enhancing digitally based village governance, and developing MSMEs capable of competing amid economic transformation.

Given UNU Jogja's experience in implementing technology-based community empowerment programs, including its AI-driven smart farming initiative at Lintang Songo Islamic Boarding School, LLDIKTI Region V and the Kulon Progo Regency Government considered the university well-positioned to contribute to addressing these regional development needs.

Beyond highlighting the smart farming program, LLDIKTI Region V and the Kulon Progo Regency Government offered three areas of collaboration to UNU Jogja: smart agriculture based on the Internet of Things (IoT), digital village governance (e-governance), and mentoring and strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

"We hope this collaboration will generate programs that not only benefit communities but also serve as a platform for implementing innovation and advancing academic knowledge in support of regional development," Setyabudi said.

Responding to the opportunity, Joko Susilo, Director of UNU Jogja's Social Laboratory, welcomed the proposed partnership. He stated that collaboration between Kulon Progo Regency and UNU Jogja reflects the university's contribution to regional development through the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.

"This collaboration is important because it not only expands the university's impact on society but also provides meaningful learning opportunities for lecturers and students to understand real-world challenges and deliver relevant solutions," Joko said.

He added that UNU Jogja would follow up on the forum's outcomes by designing thematic programs aligned with the needs of the Kulon Progo community.

"We appreciate the trust placed in us by LLDIKTI Region V and the Kulon Progo Regency Government. This demonstrates that the community engagement model developed by UNU Jogja not only creates local benefits but also has the potential to be replicated and expanded in other regions," he said. [Latifah]