Conference Background

The global manufacturing sector stands at an unprecedented inflection point, where synergistic advancements in cyber-physical systems, industrial IoT networks, generative AI and so on are dismantling century-old production doctrines. Autonomous smart factories employing machine vision and digital twins now achieve near-zero downtime, while additive manufacturing enables distributed micro-production clusters that circumvent traditional supply chain vulnerabilities.

Within this transformation, China has emerged as a pivotal force, with its rapid deployment of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) and open-source frameworks like DeepSeek challenging traditional industrial monopolies, democratizing technological access, and reshaping governance paradigms. However, the transition exposes stark asymmetries: while some tech giants and advanced manufacturers seamlessly integrate cognitive robotics, many global counterparts grapple with legacy machinery digitization costs, risking entrenched technological dependencies.

Concurrently, digital manufacturing drives business model innovation and regulatory upheaval, forcing policymakers to balance AI-driven productivity gains with sovereignty concerns. The cumulative effect constitutes not merely incremental improvement but a structural change of value chains, economic equity, and technological sovereignty, demanding multidisciplinary collaboration to navigate both the promises of Industry 4.0 and the perils of a fragmented global industrial order.

This international conference will provide an opportunity for in-depth exploration and communication on these topics. Keynote speeches, industry forums, paper development workshops and other sessions will be set. Renowned scholars, seasoned entrepreneurs and academic researchers from around the world will get together to share their insightful studies, experiences, and policy recommendations.

Topics

Digital Manufacturing Innovations

AI and Industrial Changes

National Innovation System Reconfiguration

AI-driven Production and Innovation

Business Model Innovation in Manufacturing

Global Manufacturing and Innovation Network

Supply Chain Redistribution and Reconfiguration

Green Manufacturing and ESG

IP Rights and Governance in Digital Era

Emerging Industry and Innovation Ecosystem

Conference Information

Conference Chairs

Prof. Sir Mike Gregory

Former head of the IfM, University of Cambridge Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

GMC Honorary Chair

Prof. Xiaobo Wu 

Head of the NIIM, Zhejiang

University Senior Expert of Zhejiang Province

Prof. Tim Minshall 

Head of the IfM, University of Cambridge

Organizing Committee Chairs

Prof. Dong WU

Zhejiang University

Prof.  Yongjiang SHI, 

University of Cambridge 

Joint Sponsors

Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Organizers

National Institute for Innovation Management（NIIM） Institute for Manufacturing（IfM）

School of Management (ZJUSOM)

ZJU—CAM Joint Research Center for Global Manufacturing and Innovation Management

Supporting Journal SI

Asian Journal of Technology Innovation

Management and Organization Review

Journal of Digital Economy

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

Journal of International Business Policy

Journal of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management（管理工程学报）

Supporting Organization

Ruihua Institute for Innovation Management（RIIM） 

The Leading Innovators Network（LIN）

Submission Requirement

Original and unpublished work is required, and should be prepared in English by Microsoft Word. 

Please send your ABSTRACT/PROPOSAL 

niim@zju.edu.cn

Key Dates

2025.08.01 Abstracts/Proposals Submission Deadline 2025.08.15 Acceptance Notification

2025.08.20 Registration Fee Payment (early birds) 2025.08.31 Registration Fee Payment Deadline

Registration Fee

350USD or 2000RMB ( half price for early birds )

Guest Speakers （the list will be updated continuously）