On November 24,the 2025 Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Symposium was successfully held at the Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering. Theevent was hosted by South China University of Technology, co-organized by the Shien-MingWu School of Intelligent Engineering, the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, and the Institute of Production Systems at Ruhr University Bochum(Germany), and under taken by HuaZhi Intelligent.

Group Photo

The symposium brought together notable figures including Zhang Zheng (Secretary of the PartyGeneral Branch of the Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering),Academician Chen Xiaoqi (Dean of the School), Professor Li Weihua (Dean of theSchool of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering), Professor Huang Yanjiang(Vice Dean), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Kuhlenkötter (Director of the Institute ofProduction Systems at Ruhr University Bochum), Dr. Christopher Prinz (ChiefEngineer), Professor Min Junying (Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical andEnergy Engineering at Tongji University), Xia Yanna (Chairwoman of HuaZhiIntelligent), Jiang Junfeng (Vice President), and numerous experts and scholarsin the field. Together, they explored the latest technological advancements andfuture trends in robotics and intelligent manufacturing. The symposium waschaired by Associate Professor Wu Kai from the Shien-Ming Wu School ofIntelligent Engineering.

Opening Remarks by Academician Chen Xiaoqi

In his opening remarks, Academician Chen Xiaoqi emphasized that the symposium focuses on key directions in the discipline of robotics and intelligent manufacturing. It serves as a high-level platform for exchanging cutting-edge ideas and technological achievements, laying a solid foundation for deeperindustry-academia-research integration and building consensus for development.The school will take this opportunity to further promote international education cooperation and academic exchanges, gathering global expertise todrive innovation in robotics and intelligent manufacturing.

Report by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Kuhlenkötter

Prof. Dr.-Ing.Bernd Kuhlenkötter delivered a report titled Automated Production Systemfor the Processing of Concrete Elements, exploring how robotics andintelligent manufacturing can foster green and efficient development in the manufacturing sector. Using an automated system for reprocessing concret ecomponents as an example, he explained how coupling digital models for energy consumption and processing characteristics can achieve full-process automation integration. This system incorporates precision processing into the overall value chain, enabling collaborative operations across the entire workflow and advancing manufacturing toward greater intelligence and efficiency.

Report by Professor Min Junying

Professor Min Junying, in his report Laser-assisted Robotic Roller Forming of Ultra-high Strength Steels, highlighted the dual requirements for lightweight and high-safety materials in the rapidly growing new energy vehicle industry, while also considering cost-effectiveness and practicality. He proposed that by integrating robotics with laser technology—such as through laser synchronous heating and local softening—the challenges of forming ultra-high strength steel can be effectively addressed. This method offers advantages such as low cost, high performance, short cycles, and rapid delivery, making it well-suited for the diverse and batch production needs ofnew energy vehicle components.

Report by Vice President Jiang Junfeng

Vice President Jiang Junfeng shared HuaZhi Intelligent’s industrial practices in the field of intelligent manufacturing. He stated that the company follows the national strategy for manufacturing excellence, adopting a methodology of strategy–assessment–blue print–implementation. Focusing onintegrated production-supply-marketing, centralized production management, and full product life cycle management, HuaZhi has established a 1+4+Nproduct ecosystem centered on the HuaZhi Cloud industrial internet platform.Through smart factory solutions and industrial AI products, the company helps industrial enterprises achieve deep integration of intelligent manufacturing and digital transformation. He also presented multiple industry cases demonstrating HuaZhi's practical results in empowering enterprise transformation and applying new robotics technologies.

Report by Professor Huang Yanjiang

Professor Huang Yanjiang, in his report Dynamic Parameter Identification and Admittance Control of Collaborative Robots, noted that as manufacturing moves toward greater flexibility and intelligence, human-robot collaboration has become akey development direction. Research on core technologies such as dynamic parameter identification and admittance control for collaborative robots can significantly enhance their flexible operation accuracy and safety incooperative tasks, providing strong technical support for typical human-robot collaboration scenarios such as industrial assembly and precision machining.

The 2025 Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Symposium comprehensively showcased cutting-edge research achievements in the field,built consensus among industry, academia, and research institutions from China and Germany, and successfully established a bridge for international cooperation. Moving forward, the school will continue to deepen collaboration with top global institutions, expand channels for academic exchange and technology transfer, and pool global innovation resources to advance breakthroughs and applications in key robotics and intelligent manufacturing technologies,injecting sustained momentum into the industry's transition toward digitalization, intelligence, and sustainability.(Text and Images/Shien-Ming WuSchool of Intelligent Engineering)