Japfa’s AI and Quantum Computing Center of Excellence aimed for more efficient and sustainable food production

Through a dedicated digital innovation team and strong partnerships within Singapore’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, the CoE aims to gain deeper insights and address real-world operational challenges in livestock farming and food production.

In doing so, the CoE builds on local talent and tests new technologies such as AI, quantum computing and data science that can enhance productivity, animal health and sustainability.

Under the collaborations signed recently, Japfa and its partners will work together on three fronts:

• With SIT, to advance applied AI research that supports food processing quality inspections using computer vision.
• With NYP, to develop sensor and AI prototyping solutions, as well as digital talent through training programs and professional development.
• With AngelQ, to explore how quantum computing can be applied to optimize operations, including benchmarking against Japfa’s current AI models.

These partnerships build on Japfa’s growing use of AI and data-driven systems across its regional operations. Pilot projects in swine operations in Vietnam and in poultry operations in Indonesia are already testing how these technologies can enhance farm operation performance – for example by leveraging AI to enable real-time monitoring of farm operations.

Redefining how Japfa produces food

“Technology and data are redefining how we produce food. For us, this is much more than running our operations more efficiently,” said Japfa CEO Tan Yong Nang.

“With the support of Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board, and through the collaborations that we announced, we are bringing together applied research, technology and industry expertise to gain further insights to turn ideas into practical solutions that deliver real operational impact.”

A pioneer among Singapore-based agri-food companies

Lee Pak Sing, Assistant Managing Director for Trade and Connectivity at Enterprise Singapore, said Japfa is a pioneer among Singapore-based agri-food companies in applying quantum computing to its operations and will leverage their strong deep tech ecosystem to drive more efficient and sustainable food production in Asia.

“Our partnership is part of Singapore’s continued efforts with leading agri-food traders to anchor their innovation capabilities here as part of our Trade 2030 strategy,” Mr Sing added.

Driving operational efficiency

According to Lim Wey-Len, Executive Vice President at EDB, Japfa’s Singapore CoE will add new digital and AI capabilities that drive operational efficiency across the agri-food industry in Asia.

“We welcome more like-minded companies to tap on Singapore’s vibrant research ecosystem and accelerate collaborations between industry, academia, and government, to bring impactful innovations to the world,” Mr Wey-Len said.

Collaborations for tangible impacts

Dr Phua Chee Teck, NYP Deputy Principal (Sustainability & Technology), explained that through the collaboration between NYP and Japfa, NYP learners gain opportunities to work directly with industry experts in creating practical solutions ranging from sensor development to AI prototyping.

“We are glad that such partnerships provide them with invaluable insights into advanced technologies and industry best practices, while preparing them for emerging roles in key growth sectors,” said Dr Teck.

Meanwhile, Prof Susanna Leong, SIT Vice President (Applied Research), said SIT’s collaboration with Japfa reflects the university’s commitment to drive innovation through applied research that delivers tangible impact for industry.

By combining SIT’s expertise in food tech and applied AI with Japfa’s deep domain knowledge in agri-food production, they are co-developing AI-driven inspection systems that monitor and enhance product quality standards, minimize food waste and promote sustainable practices in food processing.

“Such partnerships will strengthen Singapore’s innovation ecosystem and contribute to building a more resilient and efficient regional food supply chain,” said Prof Leong.

Prof Dimitris Angelakis, founder of AngelQ, said: “We are excited about this new collaboration with Japfa supported by ESG and EDB. We look forward to deploying our qubit efficient algorithms and software to produce useful solutions to real-world operational challenges in livestock farming and food production. An important step for us in our efforts to bring quantum computing out of the academic labs and to industry applications.”

Strong emphasis on technologies and innovation

As one of the largest staple protein producers in Asia, contributing about 20% of the protein in its key markets through its integrated value chain, Japfa places a strong emphasis on technologies and innovation that drive operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.

This initiative aligns with Singapore’s national priorities to strengthen food security and deepen technological capabilities across key industries.