Programme aims to share latest industry knowledge to enhance Riau Islands’ food production and supply chain, as well as developing Industry 4.0 capabilities
RP’s Principal/CEO Mr Yeo Li Pheow and the Governor of Riau Islands, Hon. Ansar Ahmad at the ceremony
Republic Polytechnic International (RPI), the international arm of Republic Polytechnic (RP), and the Government of Riau Islands (KEPRI) today signed an 18-month Memorandum of Intent (MOI) to share expertise in agriculture technology and aquaculture. Held at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore, the ceremony was attended by His Excellency Suryo Pratomo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore; The Honourable Ansar Ahmad, Governor of KEPRI; Mr Yeo Li Pheow, Principal/CEO, Republic Polytechnic; and Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Head, Programmes, Temasek Foundation.
The partnership, supported by Temasek Foundation, is in line with Indonesia’s call to harness technology to increase its national agricultural productivity, production and exports, as well as to improve its supply chain capabilities. It also aims to increase the industry relevance of the curriculum in KEPRI’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training centres and Institutes of Higher Learning. Additionally, the programme will help to spearhead the adoption of LEAN technology to add value and streamline existing processes.
Named the Temasek Foundation – Republic Polytechnic International Food Industry 4.0 and Supply Chain Programme, the partnership was launched at a conference on Adopting Industry 4.0 in Agriculture and Aquaculture. Running from April 2022 until May 2023, the programme comprises six workshops covering topics such as digital transformation, sustainable urban farming and aquaculture, with each spanning four to six days. Workshops will be held at participating institutions in Singapore and Indonesia.
The programme is jointly funded by KEPRI, RPI, as well as Temasek Foundation. The foundation has supported several capability-building programmes in Indonesia, in the areas of education, health care, urban management and public administration.
Delegates and representatives from both nations commemorate the occasion with a group photo
24 leaders and 120 provincial government officials, specialists, entrepreneurs, industry practitioners from Riau Islands’ agriculture and aquaculture sectors will be participating in the programme. These include more than 50 educators from Raja Ali Haji Maritime University (UMRAH) and vocational school Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK). The joint participation of public officials, academics and industry is expected to help facilitate discussions on development of plans on how each institution and area of work can contribute to enhance industry capabilities in the province.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency Suryo Pratomo, welcomed the signing of this MOI. He said, “The MOI marks a milestone arising from the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat Meeting in Bintan earlier this year. More importantly, it is an opportunity for us to further step-up multi-stakeholder collaboration between both countries in education and capacity building, bringing our partnership to greater heights.”
The Governor of Riau Islands, The Honourable Ansar Ahmad added, “The close co-operation between Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic and the Provincial Government of Riau Islands, Indonesia, in adopting Food Industry 4.0 principles extends beyond training. This programme helps to strengthen bilateral cooperation between both countries and offers participants and facilitators cross-border perspectives.”
Mr Yeo Li Pheow, Principal/CEO, Republic Polytechnic said, “Collaboration between the education, public and private sectors underpins an effective and successful innovation ecosystem. RP has been actively engaged and leading efforts in the areas of urban agriculture technology and aquaculture over the years. We are confident that this partnership will assist our business partners to harness Industry 4.0 capabilities and advance its food supply sector. We look forward to sharing our industry knowledge, competencies and unique Problem-based Learning pedagogy with KEPRI officials. We are also deeply grateful to Temasek Foundation for their support in this partnership.”
Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Head, Programmes, Temasek Foundation said, “Faced with growing food demands, the pressure to increase productivity and production in agriculture and aquaculture is a challenge for many communities. We are honoured to be able to support the Riau Islands through this programme to develop capabilities in relevant technology and training in order to meet their food industry goals. We hope that this can be a platform for us to share experiences and learn from one another as we continue to improve food resilience in both communities.”
Strengthening training capabilities through Problem-based Learning (PBL)
To enhance KEPRI’s development of talent and training capabilities in its agriculture and aquaculture sectors, RP will also share its signature Problem-based Learning (PBL) pedagogy through one of the programme’s workshops on PBL and Active Learning with Technology. PBL takes a learner-centred approach that emphasises the importance of authentic and immersive learning through practical problem-solving.
Sharing expertise in food production and sustainable development
The programme will tap on RP’s food production and sustainable development strengths. The polytechnic offers a diverse range of Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes, such as specialist diplomas and career conversion and professional upskilling courses across diverse industry sectors. RP also houses an AgriFood Research and Development cluster which covers ‘Farm to Table’ capabilities through technology-driven urban agriculture for intensive farming, sustainable aquaculture and functional food formulations.
The Agriculture Research and Innovation (AGRI) Centre was established by RP in 2019 to help local farms increase crop production and enhance farm operations. In 2021, the Sustainable Aquaculture Technology Centre (SATC) was set up to focus on applied research and development in genetics and fish breeding, disease management, and fish feed formulation.
RP’s Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management has also made its impact on 400 companies which have benefitted from RP’s expertise in supply chain management through more than 800 consultancy projects to date.
Keen to explore the areas of Agri- and Aquaculture?
Partner us to leverage our experience and collaborate with various food-related research centres in the polytechnic, such as the Agriculture Research and Innovation (AGRI) Centre and the Sustainable Aquaculture Technology Centre (SATC), both of which are dedicated to supporting Singapore’s farming sector and improving food production.