Preface

The 2025 8th International Conference on Intelligent Manufacturing and Automation (IMA 2025), held in Nanjing from February 28 to March 2, 2025, marked another milestone in advancing interdisciplinary dialogues on cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of industrial systems. Organized under the theme “Intelligent Manufacturing and Automation,” this conference brought together a global cohort of researchers, engineers, and industry leaders to explore transformative solutions for modern manufacturing challenges. Hosted by Nanjing Tech University and spearheaded by its College of Electrical Engineering and Control Science, IMA 2025 aimed to bridge theoretical innovation with industrial application. Co-organized by Heilongjiang University, Hohai University, China University of Mining and Technology, and Jiangsu Association of Automation, the conference emphasized collaborative problem-solving across academia and industry. With about 200 attendees from over 10 countries, the event fostered knowledge exchange in areas such as advanced materials, intelligent control systems, data-driven optimization, and sustainable automation. The selection of the high-quality papers underscores the conference’s commitment to academic excellence and relevance. The six keynote speeches formed the intellectual backbone of the conference, offering visionary perspectives on emerging paradigms. Prof. Qinglai Wei (Chinese Academy of Sciences) opened the discourse with a groundbreaking analysis of self-learning optimal control systems, proposing frameworks for autonomous industrial decision-making. Prof. Xudong Zhao (Dalian University of Technology) delved into time-driven switching control design, addressing stability challenges in complex systems. Prof. Wenling Li (Beihang University) advanced the field of graph dynamic systems through novel filtering methodologies, while Prof. Yanjun Liu (Liaoning University of Technology) explored safety protocols for intelligent unmanned systems, highlighting ethical considerations in automation. International perspectives were enriched by Prof. Yupiter HP Manurung (UiTM, Malaysia), who critically assessed virtual manufacturing as a tool for accelerating metal additive processes, and Prof. Mouquan Shen (Nanjing Tech University), who synthesized data-driven control techniques for smart manufacturing. These talks collectively redefined the boundaries of the discipline. List of Committee Member is available in this PDF.