From December 19 to 21, 2025, the Annual Conference of the Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Branches of the Guangdong Mechanical Engineering Society and Guangdong Automation Society was grandly held in Guangzhou, China. This year’s conference specially integrated the “2nd International Symposium on Intelligent Manufacturing and Automation (ISIMA 2025)” and the “6th International Academic Conference on Mechanical Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (MAIM 2025)” as the two core sub-forums, aiming to create a higher-level, broader, and deeply integrated interdisciplinary international academic exchange platform.

The conference was guided by the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Committee of the Chinese Association of Automation, the Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Branch of the Guangdong Mechanical Engineering Society, and the Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Branch of the Guangdong Automation Society; hosted by Guangzhou Maritime University and the Intelligent Manufacturing Research Institute of Guangdong Academy of Sciences; co-organized by the Guangdong Branch of the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Alliance, Guangzhou University, Foshan University, the journal Automation and Information Engineering, and the AEIC Academic Exchange Center; and supported by Foshan Huashu Robotics Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Renyong Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd., and Aubo (Beijing) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

The meeting attracted more than 100 experts and scholars from numerous universities and research institutions to exchange ideas and discuss the latest research hotspots and innovative achievements in the field, providing new perspectives and inspirations for future research and practice.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Dean Li Weiguang of the School of Intelligent Manufacturing at Guangzhou Maritime University, who expressed gratitude for the strong support from all participants. This was followed by a welcome speech from Vice President Chen Jianping of Guangzhou Maritime University, warmly welcoming the experts and scholars attending and hoping that the participants would fully share their latest research findings and explore more opportunities for collaboration. Finally, sincere thanks were extended to the guests who traveled from afar, along with best wishes for fruitful outcomes from the conference.

During the conference, several well-known domestic experts in the fields of mechanical engineering and automation were specially invited to deliver a series of wonderful keynote speeches. These included Professor Cong Yang from South China University of Technology, Professor Li Xuejun from Foshan University, Professor Guan Yisheng from Guangdong University of Technology, Professor Zhu Benliang from South China University of Technology, Professor Meng Wei from Guangdong University of Technology, General Manager Yang Lin from Foshan Huashu Robotics Co., Ltd., Professor Dong Chunlin from Guangzhou Maritime University, Deputy General Manager Fan Rui of the Education Division at Aubo (Beijing) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., Professor Ding Jiang from Guangxi University, Professor Long Yu from Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Professor Lai Tianmao from Guangzhou University, and Professor Jiang Zhansi from Guangzhou Maritime University. A total of 12 experts and industrial research personnel presented keynote reports. These high-level presentations were rich in content and innovative in perspective, sparking enthusiastic discussions and active interactions among attendees.

A Youth Scholars’ Presentation Forum was also arranged, with young researchers from South China University of Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Shanghai Maritime University, and other institutions sharing reports or poster presentations. Two scholars were awarded for outstanding papers in order to build a platform for young researchers in the field to showcase and exchange ideas, recognizing and encouraging the sharing and dissemination of innovative research results.

The conference also featured an enterprise exhibition area where participating companies actively demonstrated their latest technologies and R&D achievements. The enterprise booths served not only as important windows for companies to showcase their strengths and promote their products but also as efficient platforms for supply-demand matching and technical exchanges among industry, academia, and research.

With this, the conference concluded successfully. Looking ahead, the meeting will continue to focus on cutting-edge areas such as mechanical engineering and automation, explore opportunities and challenges in academia and industry, and strive to promote related research and applications, advance disciplinary development, and facilitate talent cultivation. We look forward to reuniting in Guangzhou next year!