APU’s Smart Digital Farming Hub Bears Harvest

Their new smart farming AGRHI Hub combines AI, IoT, and robotics to transform food production.

Published 07 Aug 2025

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) has taken a big leap into the future of farming with the successful harvest of its first batch of hydroponic greens, grown entirely using smart farming systems. This exciting milestone was celebrated on July 22, 2025, at the university’s AGRHI Technology Hub – Digital Farming (known as the AGRHI Hub), located at APU’s campus in Technology Park Malaysia.

The hub isn’t just a greenhouse — it’s a fully integrated digital farming ecosystem that combines cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud systems and drone technology. These tools are designed to address global challenges in agriculture, such as climate change, food security and labour shortages.

The AGRHI Hub was built as part of the Agricultural Revitalisation in Higher Education Institutions of Asian Countries (AGRHI) project, an initiative funded by Erasmus+, the European Union’s programme supporting education, training and innovation. APU has been part of this international collaboration since 2019, working alongside universities across Malaysia, India, Türkiye, Poland, Greece and Sri Lanka.

The AGRHI Hub was conceptualised in October 2024 and completed by May 2025. The hydroponic system is already running with an automated nutrient dosing mechanism. Soon, an AI dashboard will be launched to allow remote monitoring and a robotic harvesting system is currently in development. Ts Suresh Gobee, Head of APCoRE and the project lead at APU, shared his excitement about the facility’s potential, “This facility will drive research in smart farming, opening opportunities for real-world application of robotics, AI vision systems, IoT devices and cloud-based monitoring.”

The hub also plays an important role in education. APU has introduced a new Digital Farming Technology specialisation under its School of Engineering, with elective modules available to students across the university. The facility provides hands-on experience, research opportunities, internships and industry training, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application.

Among the many students benefiting from this initiative is Alvin Yeap Ming Yuen, who is pursuing the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Information Technology with a specialism in IoT. He shared, “Being part of this project has been an incredible journey. I’ve had the chance to work on real-world IoT applications, integrating sensors and cloud systems to optimise crop growth. It’s fascinating to see how technology can solve critical challenges in agriculture. This experience has strengthened my technical skills and inspired me to explore careers in agri-tech innovation.”

APU’s investment in smart farming highlights the importance of innovation in shaping the future of food production.

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