PALMOILMAGAZINE, YOGYAKARTA – The Institut Pertanian Stiper (INSTIPER) Yogyakarta successfully held the INSTIPER Drone Festival (IDF) 2025 from October 23 to 26, 2025. The national-scale event showcased a range of drone-based activities, including workshops, exhibitions, expert lectures, and national drone pilot certification programs.
The festival kicked off earlier with the INSTIPER Drone Race Competition (October 10–12) and Drone Workshops (October 21–22). The workshops, attended by INSTIPER students and participants from outside the campus, provided hands-on training on drone assembly and optimization for drone racing. Participants also learned about drone photo processing and analysis, facilitated by Amir Noviyanto, S.P., M.Sc., a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture and an expert in drone data analysis. The session covered techniques such as multispectral photo mosaicking and land condition analysis using vegetation indices like NDVI, GreenNDVI, and NDRE.
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During the festival’s opening ceremony, INSTIPER Rector Dr. Ir. Harsawardana, M.Eng. emphasized that the event was a response to the growing need for knowledge and expertise in drone technology, especially in agriculture and forestry—fields where INSTIPER has long specialized.
“Drones are now widely used for land surveying, soil fertility mapping, tree counting, plant health monitoring, and even for spraying fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. These innovations are essential for precision agriculture and sustainable land management,” said Dr. Harsawardana, in a statement received by beige-heron-208544.hostingersite.com on Sunday (10/26)..
He added that drone-related subjects, including remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS), are integrated into all faculties at INSTIPER. The campus also operates the INSTIPER Drone Academy, a co-curricular program designed to enhance students’ skills in drone piloting and image analysis.
Launching the Drone and Remote Sensing Research and Innovation Center
In conjunction with the festival, INSTIPER inaugurated the Drone–Remote Sensing Research and Innovation Center, a new hub for academic and student research focused on UAV and remote sensing applications in agriculture and forestry.
“The university is committed to supporting research in GIS, remote sensing, drone technology, and GeoAI. Many of our lecturers and students are already engaged in these fields. Through this research center, we aim to broaden our impact and contribute more significantly to society and the plantation and forestry industries,” explained the Rector.
Drone Expo, Certification, and National Collaboration
The four-day festival also featured the Drone Expo and Showcase, where leading companies such as Frogs Indonesia, Doran Sukses Indonesia, and PT Tribuana Solusi Inovasi Teknologi exhibited cutting-edge technologies, including quadcopters, drone sprayers, multispectral drones, and LiDAR drones. Live demonstrations highlighted drone applications in spraying, mapping, and monitoring for modern agricultural and forestry practices.
Simultaneously, INSTIPER collaborated with the Indonesian Drone Pilot Association (APDI) to hold a National Drone Pilot Certification Program. Twenty participants—including lecturers, students, and public attendees—completed modules covering flight safety, regulations, pre-flight checks, and communication procedures, followed by a practical flight test.
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“Through this certification program, INSTIPER graduates will have an added advantage with specialized drone piloting skills,” said Dr. Harsawardana. Bion, representing APDI, expressed appreciation for the collaboration:
“We are pleased to work with INSTIPER on this certification program. Collaborations like this are vital for expanding the national drone ecosystem and developing certified human resources in drone technology, particularly for the agriculture and forestry sectors.”
Expert Lecture and Closing Night
The final day of the festival featured the IDF 2025 Expert Lecture, themed “Transforming Smart Drone Technology: Innovative Roles of Drones in Agriculture, Plantation, and Forestry.” The session featured key speakers, including Arif Ika Uktoro, S.TP., M.Eng. (INSTIPER Drone Expert), Nicko Ariwibowo (PT Tribuana Solusi Inovasi Teknologi), Dr. M. Akbar Marwan, ST., M.MSI. (Chairman of APDI), and Galang Sinu Susilo (Drone Trainer and Specialist at PT Doran Sukses Indonesia). The lecture, moderated by Amir Noviyanto, S.P., M.Sc., drew over 500 participants from both INSTIPER and other institutions, with high enthusiasm and active discussions throughout.
The festival concluded with the IDF 2025 Grand Night, highlighted by a live performance from the band Ngatmombilung on Sunday evening, October 26, 2025, marking a celebratory end to a week of learning, innovation, and collaboration.
Through INSTIPER Drone Festival 2025, the university reaffirmed its role as a pioneer in advancing smart agricultural technology and nurturing future professionals ready to lead Indonesia’s digital transformation in agriculture and forestry. (P3)
