Keynote Speaker 1
Professor Bambang Pramujati
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia
Topic: Control Systems, Industrial Automation, and Robotics
Professor Bambang Pramujati is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia, and serves as the university’s Rector for the 2024–2029 term. He completed his undergraduate education in mechanical engineering at ITS, pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and obtained his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. His academic career combines research in mechanical engineering with university leadership. He previously headed the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2011 to 2018 and received national recognition as an outstanding department head in 2015.
Within the Laboratory of System Engineering and Control at ITS, Professor Pramujati’s expertise encompasses robotics, control systems, and automation. His research includes contributions to model predictive control, particularly methods that make advanced controllers more practical to implement. His collaborative work on well-conditioned predictive control investigated a shifting-factor approach to address numerical conditioning and parameter-selection difficulties in dynamic matrix control. This research considered both experimental implementation on a rapidly responding process and simulations involving more complex process dynamics.
His research also extends to the modelling and motion control of cable-driven parallel robots. Published studies involving Professor Pramujati have examined trajectory planning, dynamic equilibrium, cable-tension constraints, and position control in suspended robotic systems. These investigations combine mathematical models with prototype development to examine how robotic platforms can follow prescribed trajectories while maintaining appropriate cable tensions. His work therefore addresses practical relationships between mechanical configuration, system dynamics, and controller implementation.
In his professorial inaugural address, Professor Pramujati highlighted the importance of simplifying advanced control methods for industrial use. He discussed applications in precision manufacturing, including injection moulding, and robotic motion, emphasising controller tuning, operational stability, and practical implementation. His research seeks to make sophisticated control approaches more accessible to industries facing increasingly complex and interconnected production systems.
Abstract / Research Profile:
Professor Bambang Pramujati’s research focuses on control systems, industrial automation, and robotics, with particular attention to translating mathematical control methods into workable engineering solutions. A central theme is model predictive control, including strategies for improving numerical conditioning and simplifying controller parameter selection. His contributions investigate how predictive approaches can support the control of processes with demanding dynamic behaviour. In robotics, his collaborative research examines suspended cable-driven mechanisms, trajectory generation, and model-based position control. These studies address the interaction between platform motion, mechanical constraints, and cable tensions through modelling and experimental investigation. His broader research profile connects advanced control theory with precision manufacturing and automated mechanical systems, with an emphasis on implementation, stability, and dependable motion. Together, these areas provide a technical foundation for discussing how control engineering supports the development of increasingly capable manufacturing and robotic technologies.
Keynote Speaker 2 (confirmed)
Dr. Michele Bici
Tenure-Track Researcher in Industrial Engineering Design and Methods
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Topic: Mechanical Design, Reverse Engineering, and Additive Manufacturing
Dr. Michele Bici is a researcher at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, working within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He has held a tenure-track research appointment in industrial engineering design and methods since December 2023. He earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Sapienza in 2014 and completed his doctorate in industrial and management engineering in 2017. His doctoral research investigated the automation of tolerance inspection using reverse engineering, focusing on segmentation techniques for components produced by plastic injection moulding.
Following his doctorate, Dr. Bici undertook postdoctoral research at Sapienza on CAD tools and procedures for the topological and geometric–structural optimisation of components suitable for additive manufacturing. His academic activities also include teaching in mechanical design and virtual prototyping. He is a member of the Italian association for industrial engineering design and methods, ADM, and has contributed to conference organisation, editorial activities, and peer review.
A significant part of his research concerns the connection between digital geometry and the inspection of manufactured components. His work on automated tolerance inspection explores how reverse-engineering data can be interpreted against dimensional and geometrical requirements specified in engineering drawings. Investigations in this area have included aerospace components and methods for recognising non-planar surfaces. These studies examine how inspection procedures can improve the organisation of measurement data and provide useful feedback to component design and manufacturing.
Dr. Bici has also contributed to research on lightweight structures and functional integration through additive manufacturing. One collaborative study investigated a multifunctional aerospace panel produced using selective laser melting, considering structural demands, integrated functions, and manufacturing constraints. More recent work has examined generative design, components combining different materials, and machine learning as a tool for supporting design decisions throughout the product lifecycle. These activities connect geometric modelling and engineering analysis with the opportunities and limitations of emerging manufacturing processes.
Abstract / Research Profile:
Dr. Michele Bici’s research addresses the integration of mechanical design, reverse engineering, and additive manufacturing within digital product-development processes. His work on reverse engineering investigates how measurements of physical components can support automated geometrical assessment and tolerance verification. This includes methods for identifying relevant surfaces and relating inspection results to engineering requirements. In additive manufacturing, his research examines the relationship between component geometry, structural performance, and production constraints, including applications involving lightweight and multifunctional structures. His recent collaborative work also considers how machine learning can assist engineers in selecting design and process parameters across multiple stages of the product lifecycle. This research profile connects the reconstruction and evaluation of existing components with the design of new geometries enabled by advanced manufacturing. Its central concerns include product quality, design efficiency, manufacturability, and the effective use of computational tools in engineering decision-making.
Keynote Speaker 3 (confirmed)
Associate Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Norazlianie Sazali
Associate Professor
Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Malaysia
Topic: Materials Synthesis and Characterisation, Membrane Technology, Heavy Metal Removal, and Hydrogen Purification
Associate Professor Norazlianie Sazali is an academic and researcher whose work spans mechanical engineering, materials development, and membrane separation technologies. She began her academic career at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) in 2018. She is seconded to the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a manufacturing specialisation from Universiti Malaysia Pahang, awarded in 2012, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from UTHM, completed in 2015, and a doctorate in chemical–gas engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), obtained in 2018.
Her research interests include materials synthesis and characterisation, carbon membranes, gas separation, hydrogen purification, heavy metal removal, and wastewater treatment. Her work on hydrogen separation has investigated carbon membranes derived from polymer precursors, including polyimide and cellulose nanocrystal mixtures. This research has considered the selection of intermediate layers and supporting structures to improve membrane morphology, thermal behaviour, structural characteristics, and mechanical capability. The development of these membranes connects material selection and fabrication conditions with the performance of gas-separation systems.
Associate Professor Sazali has also worked on a portable carbon-membrane concept for hydrogen purification, in collaboration with researchers at UTM’s Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre. The project explored molecular-sieving mechanisms for separating hydrogen from other gases and received support through Malaysia’s Fundamental Research Grant Scheme. The innovation earned a gold medal and the CENLAB Special Award at the 2020 Creation, Innovation, Technology & Research Exposition, reflecting recognition of its development as an applied membrane technology.
Alongside gas-separation research, her publications examine materials for removing heavy metals from water. These include studies reviewing carbon-based adsorbents, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, and biochar, as well as nanocellulose-based materials. This work considers material characteristics, surface modification, adsorption mechanisms, and opportunities to improve treatment performance. Her research therefore spans both energy-related separation processes and materials-based approaches to water pollution control.
Abstract / Research Profile:
Associate Professor Norazlianie Sazali’s research focuses on functional materials for gas purification and environmental treatment. A major area of her work is the development of carbon membranes for hydrogen separation, including the influence of precursor composition, intermediate layers, and supporting structures on membrane properties and separation performance. Her investigations connect materials synthesis and characterisation with the practical requirements of gas-processing systems. In parallel, her publications examine carbon-based and nanocellulose-based materials for removing heavy metals from water, with attention to surface properties, adsorption mechanisms, modification methods, and material reuse. These research themes link the engineering of membrane and adsorbent materials to two practical challenges: obtaining useful gas streams and reducing contaminants in water. Her multidisciplinary background supports a research approach that considers material structure, fabrication, performance assessment, and potential application within energy and environmental technologies.