28 April 2026, Serdang – The InfoComm Development Centre (iDEC) welcomed a delegation from the Department of Digital Malaysia (JDN) for a visit to the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Data Centre located at iDEC Beta. The visit involved seven (7) JDN officers and commenced at 2:00 PM with an introductory briefing and presentation on the UPM Data Centre.

The Data Centre, situated on the ground floor of the Institute for Mathematical Research (INSPEM) building, is over 15 years old. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) plans to establish supporting digital infrastructure and an integrated high-performance computing platform, including edge computing as a data integration storage solution to manage computation, AI model deployment, and AI service monitoring. This initiative aims to enhance contributions toward national and global food security.

Upgrading measures and new acquisitions are required to achieve the following objectives:

1. The Data Centre support system is outdated (>15 years) and requires reassessment.
2. Upgrade to a smart, AI-enabled, and Green Data Centre (energy-efficient).
3. Obsolete research facilities hinder the adoption of modern technologies.
4. Shortage of tech-savvy agropreneurs.
5. AI researchers face high infrastructure costs, affecting product development.

To ensure these requirements are supported and approved, UPM hosted a visit from expert officers from the Department of Digital Malaysia (JDN). The officers who attended the visit were:

1. Mrs. Razita Omar
2. Ts. Rizman Yusam
3. Mrs. Rozaih Sama'on
4. Ts. Mohd. Khairil Sailan
5. Ts. Mohd Nawawi Mustafa
6. Ts. Mohd Firdaus Mohd Yusof
7. Mr. Hirulnizam Mohd Kassim

As a result of the discussions and the visit session, several improvement recommendations were identified. It is hoped that UPM will be able to provide more comprehensive facilities in line with the proposed enhancements.

Date of Input: 29/04/2026 | Updated: 30/04/2026 | zuraya