Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in 2018 was trusted to establish a Center for Excellence in Higher Education Science and Technology in the field of agricultural innovation (Inagrotech). Therefore, Agrotechnology Innovation Center (AIC) as a supporting unit that match the field was specifically designated by UGM to realize the center of excellence. In term of evaluating the development of research for the progress of AIC, AIC carried out the Inagrotech Research and the roadmap at the Santika Premiere Jogja Hotel on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.
Dr. Taryono as Head of AIC opened the event officially. “The FGD aimed to advance and to support research in AIC so that agrotechnology innovation will be well-developed at UGM,” he said in his speech. On the occasion of the FGD, a total of 12 researchers from various fields in UGM presented the progress of their research in supporting the AIC as the Center for Excellence. One of the presented research was entitled the Development and Implementation of Precision Techno and Internet of Things-Based Watering Automation for Agriculture delivered by Ir. Lukito Edi Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D.
drg. Ika Dewi Ana, M.Kes., Ph.D. as the UGM Vice Rector of Research and Community Service participated in the event. “The UGM research plan for the next 5 years is to encourage basic research for the Sustainable Innovation Program. Therefore, many research groups will be formed to support the program. The coordinator of the research from the research group will be tasked to work together and then formulate a research roadmap,” she said. This event, according to her, is expected to be able to establish academic excellence in UGM through innovative researches for the progress of AIC one of the Centers of Excellence in Science and Technology in Indonesia.