YOGYAKARTA — Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DTPB) Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FAT) UGM and Researcher at the Smart Agriculture Research Center, Dr. Andri Prima Nugroho, S.T.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., participated in the Business Matchmaking session during the Global Innovation & Future Technology Summit (GIFTS) 2026 held at UGM’s Innovation and Creativity Hub (GIK) on October 21–22, 2026. During the forum, Dr. Andri signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with an industry partner from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) network, expressing formal interest in the patented soil moisture monitoring innovation.
This participation marks a strategic milestone for DTPB FAT UGM in bridging academic research with actual industry requirements. Through direct engagement with business stakeholders, biosystems technology-based innovations developed within academia can be introduced intensively to prospective industrial partners.
The highlighted innovation that captured industry interest is a patented technology titled CLOUD-INTEGRATED AUTOMATIC SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING EQUIPMENT (Patent Number: IDS000007361), also known as the SmartAgri SMC Monitoring System. The system is engineered to monitor soil moisture across three soil layers in real-time, integrated with cloud-connected sensors for soil temperature and microclimate observation.
The precise data generated by this system serves as a vital reference for understanding soil-water dynamics, supporting irrigation efficiency decisions, and advancing precision agricultural and plantation water management.
Initiated by the Directorate of Business Development UGM alongside KADIN DIY, the GIFTS 2026 Business Matchmaking session brought together UGM inventors and industry leaders to explore innovation commercialization. The signing of the LoI by Dr. Andri Prima Nugroho represents an initial step toward follow-up technical discussions regarding collaboration schemes and field implementation.
This achievement stands as a recognition of the academic expertise of DTPB FAT UGM faculty members in addressing modern agricultural challenges through Internet of Things (IoT) precision farming and biosystems innovations that deliver competitive and actionable solutions for national industries.
