Artificial intelligence and insect monitoring are at the centre of a new Australia–Vietnam research collaboration led by The University of Queensland (UQ), aimed at helping communities better adapt to climate change and safeguard food security.
The project, Smart Pollination Management to Improve Fruit Production in Vietnam, has secured AU$544,240 through the Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants program. The funding reinforces UQ’s commitment to Vietnam’s national development priorities, including science, technology and innovation, agriculture and food technology, public health, and capacity building in the higher education sector.
Dr T Thang Vo‑Doan, from UQ’s BioRobotics Lab, noted that the project’s success in securing Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants was built on earlier support through a 2025 grant from UQ’s Global Partnerships Funding Scheme, which provides seed and strategic funding to strengthen international collaboration across research, education and global engagement.
Led by Dr Vo‑Doan, the project applies UQ’s advanced research capabilities to a real‑world agricultural challenge, aiming to help farmers improve fruit yields while reducing pesticide use and responding to increasing climate variability.
Co‑investigator Dr Mai Thanh Thai from VinUniversity in Hanoi said smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate‑driven changes affecting pollination.
“When pollination becomes unreliable, it directly affects both productivity and income stability,” Dr Thai said.
“Farmers need better tools to understand what’s happening in their orchards in real time.”
Rather than focusing only on pests, as many existing agricultural monitoring systems do, the technology monitors pollinators and other beneficial insects alongside pest species. By linking insect activity with flowering patterns and environmental conditions, the system helps farmers decide when to spray – or avoid spraying – pesticides, whether beneficial insects are naturally controlling pests, and when changes to practices such as irrigation may be needed.
This adaptability is particularly important as climate change disrupts traditional farming calendars and insect behaviour.
Dr Vo‑Doan said the idea is to bring new technology, including AI, insect tracking and insect monitoring, into meaningful information that can inform farmers via a mobile app.
“Climate change is unpredictable and changes every year,” Dr Vo‑Doan said.
“Farmers can’t rely on exactly what they did last season, so the system needs to be flexible and responsive.”
The project directly contributes to Vietnam’s efforts to strengthen climate resilience and food security by improving pollination management, an often overlooked factor in fruit productivity.
Initial pilot trials will take place on two farms in Vietnam, one mango and one durian, working closely with Vietnamese government partners and a RYNAN Technologies collaborator that already has insect monitoring devices deployed across the country. This approach allows the research team to build on existing infrastructure and develop a model that can be scaled to other regions and crops if successful.
By improving decision‑making at farm level, the system also supports Vietnam’s agricultural export ambitions. Reduced pesticide use and improved environmental monitoring can help farmers demonstrate clean, high‑quality produce, an increasingly important requirement for international markets.
“It becomes a whole package,” Dr Vo‑Doan said. “Not only for pollination and food yield, but for improving sustainability and the competitiveness of the industry overall.”
In line with Aus4Innovation principles, the project also emphasises inclusive innovation. The team aims to ensure women, people with disabilities and other under‑represented groups within farming communities can benefit from improved access to technology and agricultural information.
The project will run for just under two years, aligned with the conclusion of the 10‑year Aus4Innovation program in 2027. While the timeframe is not intended to deliver a fully commercial product, it is designed to act as a catalyst for future development, investment and long‑term adoption.
Launched in 2018, Aus4Innovation is funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, co‑funded and managed by CSIRO, and delivered in partnership with Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology. Through projects such as this, UQ continues to deepen its engagement with Vietnam, leveraging research excellence and international partnerships to address shared challenges and contribute to sustainable development across the region.
