Keynote Speakers-2025
Fellow of IEEE, IISE, ASME, HKIE, IET and CILT
Prof. George Q. Huang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
George joined Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in December 2022 as Chair Professor of Smart Manufacturing. Prior to this appointment, he was Chair Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Head of Department in Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at The University of Hong Kong. He gained BEng and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Southeast University (China) and Cardiff University (UK) respectively. He has conducted research projects in areas of Smart Manufacturing, Logistics, and Construction through IoT-enabled Cyber-Physical Internet and Systems Analytics. His research has been supported with substantial government and industrial grants. He has directed a strong research team and collaborated closely with leading academic and industrial organizations through joint projects and start-up companies. He has published extensively and his works have been highly cited by research communities. He serves as associate editors and editorial members for several international journals. He is Chartered Engineer (CEng), Fellow of IEEE, IISE, ASME, HKIE, IET and CILT.
Prof. Richard (Chunhui) Yang, Western Sydney University, Australia
Prof Richard Yang joined the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics in January 2012 as Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Smart Structures and he was promoted as Professor in 2018. Prior to this, Richard was holding a position of Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, the School of Engineering, Deakin University (Deakin). Prior to his almost six-year working at Deakin University, he also has worked for a couple of years each in the University of Sydney (USyd) and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) as post-doc research fellow after he finished his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2002. He was awarded the Graduate Certificate for Higher Education by Deakin University in 2008.
In research, he has been mainly working in computational mechanics more than 25 years with focusing on characterisation of advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, metal forming, metal surface treatment, material properties and mechanical behaviours via numerical modelling and simulations, including multi-scale modelling of advanced engineering materials and structures, structural health monitoring (SHM) and smart structures, etc. As for research grants, he has been granted multiple competitive research grants continuously since 2010, including 1 ARC DP (DP150100531, 2015-2017, $343k), 2 ARC Linkage (LP120100111, 2012-2014, $270k; LP0883399, 2008-2011, $225k ), 6 ARC LIEF (LE210100025, 2021-2022, $468k; LE190100032, 2018, $346k; LE170100168, 2017 $458k; LE160100089, 2016, $185k; LE140100002, 2014, $1,025k; LE110100052, 2011, $870k), along with secuing industry-based projects and others. As for publications, Richard has published 1 book, 7 book chapters, 2 special issues, and more than 200 refereed journal and conference papers in his fields of research- Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc.
In teaching, he mostly involves in Year-3/4 undergraduate and Year-2 postgraduate subjects in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics & Mechatronics with bringing teaching innovations and modern technologies into class, i.e. Mechanics of Materials, Dynamics of Machines, Finite Element Analysis, Computer-Aided Engineering, Mechanical/Mechatronic Design, Automated Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, etc.
As for external service, he is serving as assessor for ARC, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, editor board member, conference committee member, reviewers of international journals and conferences, examiner for HDR thesis, etc.
Prof. Ahmad Barari, PhD, Peng, Research Excellence Chair, and University Governor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Director of Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Laboratories (AD2M Labs)
Dr. Ahmad Barari is a professor at the department of mechanical and manufacturing engineering, director of Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Laboratories (AD2MLabs), and Research Excellence Chair in LIVE Digital Twin. He developed methodologies for various industrial applications in product development, process control, prognostics and health monitoring, and prescriptive and predictive maintenance. His contributions include over 250 publications in highly ranked journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Barari has closely collaborated in many industrial projects funded by various national and international programs. Dr. Barari has been the member in international scientific committees for various organizations including American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC). He has been in editorial board of various high prestige journals and proceedings. He organized, chaired, or administrated over 30 academic national and international events, conference topics, invited sessions, and seminars. Dr. Barari serves currently as the vice-chair academic Technical Committee on Manufacturing Plant Control and the chair of Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Working Group in IFAC.
AD2M Labs’ research is in three directions of engineering design, manufacturing, and metrology with a common approach of “digitalization”. These branches encompass a variety of research programs, focusing on major streams such as Cyber-physical Components, Digital Twin for predictive maintenance, Digital Design Optimization, Digital Manufacturing, and Digital Inspection. AD2MLabs are dedicated to advancing the future of digitalization in product life cycle and their applications across multiple industries.
A few significant highlights of the labs’ recent contribution have been their involvement in Project Arrow, Canada’s first domestically developed electric vehicle, developing LIVE digital twins for predictive maintenance of rotary machines, and additive manufacturing -based repair of large and complex parts in power generation industries. These projects exemplify the lab's innovative approaches to digital manufacturing, design, and maintenance reflecting their commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible through digitalization. With a strong focus and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, AD2MLabs continuously developing its resources and expertise to drive forward the integration of digital technologies in design, manufacturing, and maintenance, positioning themselves at the forefront of the research and innovation.