A proud achievement on the international stage has once again been accomplished by Indonesian youth. Roikhanatun Nafi'ah, an alumna of the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) Surabaya, successfully secured 1st Place at the prestigious 13th World Bank Group Youth Summit held in Washington DC, United States. This award was achieved thanks to the smart pond technology innovation she developed through her startup, Crustea Indonesia.
Nafi’, acting as Founder and CEO of Crustea Indonesia, designed this solution alongside her colleague, Prisma Riashuda Prakosa, an alumnus of Electrical Engineering at ITS. Both were moved to create this innovation after witnessing firsthand the various obstacles faced by local fish and shrimp farmers, ranging from high operational costs and limited electricity supply to the threat of harvest failure due to unstable oxygen levels in pond water.
To address these issues, Crustea presents an integrated aquaculture ecosystem combining Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and renewable energy. Their main innovation is the solar-powered Eco-Aerator. This device is capable of producing a stable oxygen supply in the water with significantly more efficient energy consumption, greatly benefiting farmers in remote areas not yet reached by the national power grid.
In addition to the eco-friendly aerator, Crustea's ecosystem is also equipped with an AIoT sensor system that monitors water parameters such as temperature, acidity (pH), salinity, and oxygen levels in real-time. If oxygen levels drop, the aerator automatically turns on and shuts off by itself when water conditions return to normal. This technology is designed to implement precision farming concepts so that farmers can work effectively without being burdened by high costs.
Since being commercialized in late 2022, the adoption of this technology has shown remarkable impact. Fish and shrimp mortality rates have been reduced by up to 50 percent, while operational costs for farmers previously using diesel engines dropped drastically by up to 80 percent. Beyond economic benefits, this innovation is claimed to prevent more than 23 thousand tons of CO₂ equivalent carbon emissions. Currently, Crustea has assisted over one thousand aquaculture farmers across Indonesia and targets an additional 2,000 new partners this year, while preparing to expand its services internationally to countries like India, the Philippines, and several African nations.
