As one of the flagship events of the "East Lake Forum", this forum was one of the highest-level and largest-scale intelligent manufacturing forums held in China this year. The forum focused on "Innovative Development and Application of Intelligent Manufacturing," exploring the latest trends in international intelligent manufacturing technologies, the application prospects of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins in the manufacturing industry, and strategies and practices for advancing intelligent manufacturing. It provided attendees with a rich and engaging knowledge feast on intelligent manufacturing, fostering interaction between academia and industry. The forum attracted over 500 participants, including renowned intelligent manufacturing experts, representatives from manufacturing enterprises, and intelligent manufacturing solution providers.

Distinguished Guests and Experts Gather to Share Insights

The forum was attended by many prominent figures in the field of intelligent manufacturing. Mr. Ji Zhou, Honorary Chairman of the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered an enthusiastic opening speech. He emphasized that intelligent manufacturing is a core technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, enabling the full utilization of human wisdom and machine intelligence, and is a key pathway for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. He also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in advancing intelligent manufacturing.

Mr. Ji Zhou, Honorary Chairman of the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing


Professor Peigen Li, Fellow of Chinese Academy of Engineering

Mr. Wentong Zhang, Vice Governor of Hubei Province, congratulated the forum on its successful opening. He noted that Hubei Province has been focusing on intelligent manufacturing as a primary direction, promoting intelligent transformation and digitalization, and building a modern industrial system that is independently controllable. He expressed confidence that the forum would inject new vitality into the high-quality development of manufacturing in Hubei and across the country.

Mr. Wentong Zhang, Vice Governor of Hubei Province

Experts Share Cutting-Edge Insights

During the forum, several renowned experts shared their insights on the current state and future directions of intelligent manufacturing. Mr. Huayong Yang, Chairman of ICIM and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, discussed the progress of AI-enabled intelligent manufacturing in high-end equipment. He explained the challenges and opportunities in integrating AI with high-end equipment and the fusion of high-end equipment models with intelligent manufacturing digital platforms.

Mr. Huayong Yang, Chairman of ICIM

Professor Bengt Lennartson from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden delivered a speech on "Data-Efficient and Robust Reinforcement Learning." He explored the relationship between dynamic programming and reinforcement learning, data-driven feedforward and feedback control, and the application of time optimization in ecological driving and robotic systems.

Professor Bengt Lennartson, Chalmers University of Technology

Professor Jun Ni, Dean of the Future Technology Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Chief Manufacturing Officer of CATL, spoke on the "Revolutionary Impact of Industrial AI Technology." He discussed the development, application, and challenges of AI, emphasizing the transformative potential of large language models in achieving general artificial intelligence.

Professor Jun Ni, Chief Manufacturing Officer of CATL

Professor Andrew Kusiak from the University of Iowa, shared insights on the application of generative AI in intelligent manufacturing. He explained how generative AI models can be used to create training data, generate code, text, images, audio, and video, and support decision-making and engineering design in manufacturing.

Professor Andrew Kusiak, University of Iowa

Professor David W. Rosen from the Georgia Institute of Technology discussed the current state and future directions of AI in manufacturing. He presented research on applying machine learning to 3D models represented by point clouds, enabling automatic classification of manufacturing processes based on part shapes.

Professor David W. Rosen, Georgia Institute of Technology

Professor Enrico Zio from the Polytechnic University of Milan focused on "Intelligent Maintenance." He explained how intelligent maintenance strategies maximize equipment availability by minimizing downtime and leveraging knowledge, information, data, and AI for condition assessment and prediction.

Professor Enrico Zio, Polytechnic University of Milan

Xun Xu, a professor from the University of Auckland, presented on "Cognitive Digital Twins for Intelligent Manufacturing." He discussed how cognitive digital twins, an extension of digital twins, incorporate cognitive functions such as perception, memory, attention, and learning to enhance intelligent manufacturing.

Professor Xun Xu, University of Auckland

Mr. Pei Huang, CEO of e-works and member of the National Intelligent Manufacturing Expert Committee, shared insights on the latest trends and strategies in intelligent manufacturing. He emphasized the importance of data-driven enterprises for sustainable development and highlighted common pitfalls in the intelligent manufacturing journey.

Mr. Pei Huang, e-works CEO

Benchmark Enterprises Share Leading Practices

Representatives from leading manufacturing enterprises, such as Tianneng Group, Wuhan Accelink Technologies, and Budweiser (Wuhan) Beer, shared their experiences in digital transformation and intelligent manufacturing, providing valuable insights and guidance for other enterprises.

Exhibition of Cutting-Edge Solutions

The forum also featured an exhibition where leading intelligent manufacturing solution providers, including Shanghai Mathart System, Supcon Technology, and Wuhan KM Information Technology, showcased their latest products, technologies, and solutions. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with these providers and explore innovative solutions for digital and intelligent transformation.

Interactive Discussions and Key Takeaways

During the panel discussion, experts debated pressing issues such as whether manufacturing enterprises should accelerate or decelerate their intelligent manufacturing efforts in an economic downturn, the main challenges in advancing intelligent manufacturing, and the specific applications of AI and large models in manufacturing that can enhance efficiency and profitability.

Revealing Trends and Hot Topics in Intelligent Manufacturing

The forum highlighted several key trends in intelligent manufacturing, including the rapid integration of generative AI and large models into manufacturing, the evolution of digital twins into cognitive twins, the importance of building data-driven enterprises for sustainable development, and the growing emphasis on green and low-carbon manufacturing practices.

The forum concluded in a lively atmosphere, leaving attendees with valuable insights and inspiration for advancing digital transformation and intelligent manufacturing in their enterprises. As a professional platform in manufacturing sector, e-works continues to support and witness the transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.