Monash University Malaysia and Neoaktif Asia have formally entered into a strategic partnership to advance Smart Agriculture research for Malaysia, aligned with the National Agriculture Plan 2.0 and beyond.
This collaboration brings together Monash University’s scientific and engineering excellence with Neoaktif’s applied ESG leadership, digitalisation capability, and commercialisation pathways, establishing a disciplined bridge between rigorous research and scalable real-world deployment. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to translating science into operational systems that strengthen natural systems and agricultural resilience, while supporting long term productivity.
A cornerstone of the programme is the establishment of the Smart Agriculture Research and Experience Centre (SAREC) in the State of Penang, Malaysia’s leading industrial hub. Conceived as both a validation and experience platform, SAREC is designed to serve as a springboard for farmers, plantation operators, and local authorities to observe, learn, and scale deployment. The centre is grounded in Geotechnical understanding and integrates Smart Agriculture through the use of IoT sensing, AI driven scheduling, and remote monitoring via LTE and 5G with cloud infrastructure, enabling continuous optimisation of next generation agricultural systems. In parallel, a Satellite SAREC Testing Twin will be developed within the Monash University campus to create a dynamic replica of physical systems, supporting simulation, prediction, and optimisation.
The programme is led by Associate Professor Dr Mavinakere Eshwaraiah Raghunandan, who presented the programme’s integrated methodology and system resilience approach, positioned to shape the next phase of agricultural and landscape innovation.
The partnership agreement was formally signed by Professor Dato Dr Ir Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan, Vice President of Research and Development at Monash University Malaysia, and Dr Danabalan Amirthalingam, Chief Executive Officer of Neoaktif Asia, in the presence of Professor Anthony Guo, Associate Professor Ir Dr Yu Gang Shee, senior leadership of both organizations, faculty members, researchers, and students.
Together, this partnership is positioned to reshape the agricultural innovation landscape by bridging science, systems, and commercial deployment to advance smart and sustainable food systems, as well as more resilient cities for Malaysia and the wider region.
#MonashUniversity #SmartAgriculture #AgriTech #ESG #Malaysia #SustainableDevelopment #Penang
The collaboration was marked by the presentation of the Neoaktif ESG Community Plaque, symbolising shared stewardship and institutional trust.
This represents industry, academia, government and farmers advancing together in a modern “gotong royong”, strengthening food security, building agricultural resilience and accelerating natural carbon sequestration for long term community impact.
#SmartAgriculture #NeoaktifAsia #MonashUniversity #MonashMalaysia #PenangGreenCouncil #FoodSecurity #NaturalCarbonSequestration