Penang is set to host international robotics and manufacturing experts for the fourth edition of a conference on intelligent manufacturing, reinforcing the state’s growing role in the global semiconductor value chain.
The 4th International Conference on Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics (ICiMR 2026) will be held at Wawasan Open University (WOU) on 3 and 4 November. The hybrid event will feature keynote addresses, industrial roundtables, technical talks and parallel research sessions, The Star reported.
Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the conference came at an important time as the state moved towards higher-value manufacturing and technology-driven activities. “Penang recorded RM22.4bil in approved manufacturing investments across 232 projects in 2025. It reflects continued investor confidence in our industrial ecosystem and reinforcing the importance of developing the research capabilities, technological expertise and skilled talent required to sustain our competitiveness,” he said at a press conference at Komtar.
Wong said Penang was also strengthening its position in the global semiconductor value chain through activities including integrated circuit design, validation, advanced packaging, semiconductor equipment, automation and AI-enabled manufacturing.
WOU chief executive and vice-chancellor Prof Dr Yap Eng Hwa said the conference was timely as Penang moved into higher-value semiconductor and manufacturing activities. “This makes Penang a highly relevant setting for international research and industry dialogue on intelligent manufacturing and robotics,” he said, as CMW noted. He added that through ICiMR 2026, WOU and its partners aimed to strengthen the connection between research and industrial practice and encourage joint academic and industry initiatives.
The conference is organised and hosted by WOU in partnership with Sunway University, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, with support from the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau. ICiMR was established in 2023 by XJTLU’s School of Robotics and School of Intelligent Manufacturing.
Research areas at ICiMR 2026 will span smart factories, Industry 4.0 applications, digital twin technology, cyber-physical production systems, the Industrial Internet of Things, predictive maintenance and manufacturing systems, robotics, artificial intelligence and data analytics. The conference also covers workforce training and the technology readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Full paper submissions close on 1 October 2026. The Conference Committee is inviting researchers, academics, postgraduate students, engineers and industry practitioners to submit original research papers, industrial case studies and scientific project findings. For more information, visit wou.edu.my/academia/icimr-2026/.
