"IMKL is shaped around the issues we hear most often from the ASEAN manufacturing community," said Ms Fiona Chiew, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. "Manufacturers are navigating geopolitical uncertainty, rising expectations around sustainable production, and new technologies that must be understood, assessed and implemented responsibly. Drawing on case studies and the expertise of an international speaker community, the programme helps translate these developments into practical direction, giving companies across the region a clearer sense of where digital transformation is heading and what it means for their own operations."
Co-organised with the Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC), the 2026 conference brings 21 invited speakers from eight countries and regions: Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The programme covers topics ranging from AI transformation to the operational and investment decisions facing manufacturers today, addressing challenges common to both SMEs and multinationals.
Keynote and international speaker line‑up
Opening this year’s conference is a keynote by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Detlef Zuehlke, known globally for his pioneering work in smart factory systems and Industry 4.0. Titled “20 years smart factory – from smart machines to worldwide ecosystems”, his address will trace the development of smart factories over the past two decades, including the move toward more connected machines, the use of digital twins, and service-based communication standards. The keynote will also address what this transition demands in practice, covering standardisation, AI-driven autonomy and cybersecurity and human responsibility. Expanding on these themes, the wider conference is organised across four tracks: "Future of manufacturing", "Global trends in manufacturing digitalisation", "From vision to value: Realising digitalisation", and "Overcoming obstacles: pathways to your digitalisation journey". Each track connects international developments in smart manufacturing with the decisions and opportunities facing manufacturers across ASEAN. Highlighted sessions include:
- Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) for the Future of Manufacturing: Roadmaps & Platforms
Prof Dr David Romero, Scientific Vice-Chairman, World Manufacturing Foundation and Professor of Advanced Manufacturing, Tecnológico de Monterrey, will outline the key enabling technologies shaping the next phase of industrial development, and what manufacturers need to understand about KETs to remain competitive and adapt to disruption. - Intelligent Robotics: From Enabling Technologies to Human-Centric Machines
Mr Laurent Maillefer, Vice President, Robotics & Discrete Automation, ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will address how advances in AI, digital twins and predictive analytics are converging to create intelligent, adaptive robots that extend human capabilities on the factory floor. - Beyond Coding: Using OpenVINO™ and Generative AI to Close the Digital Skills Gap in ASEAN Factories
The digital skills gap remains one of the more persistent barriers to automation in ASEAN manufacturing. In this session, Mr Kwek Ser Wee, Director, Business & Market Development APJ, Industrial & Robotics Division, Edge Computing Group, Intel Malaysia, will trace how the OpenVINO™ platform is evolving from traditional computer vision toward Embodied AI, and what that shift means for manufacturers looking to build more intuitive, human-centric production environments. - ROI in Digitalisation: Why Manufacturers Invest and How Returns are Realised
For manufacturers navigating Industry 4.0, the case for investment is only as strong as the evidence behind it. Mr Cowen Hoo Kok Hon, General Manager, Daikin Malaysia, will present a practical case study on digitalisation at Daikin, covering the rationale behind the investment, the implementation approach and the timeline to measurable returns. - Industrial 5G: Turning Digitalisation into Measurable Value
With Industrial 5G now moving into full deployment across Malaysia and ASEAN, manufacturers are increasingly focused on what the technology delivers in practice. Ms Claire Featherstone, Chief Commercial Officer, Enfrasys Network Sdn Bhd, will draw on regional deployment experience to assess how manufacturers are realising returns on their 5G investments.
Complementing the conference programme, a breakout session titled "Deep Dive into Common Digitalisation Barriers" will focus on common challenges that prevent manufacturers from moving digitalisation forward, covering topics including the digital skills gap, ROI assessment on digitalisation implementation and AI applications.
SPS Stage Kuala Lumpur, product showcases and Tech Labs: Humanoid robots and automation technology in action Open across all three days of the event, SPS Stage Kuala Lumpur will once again draw automation specialists from the internationally recognised SPS trade fair network to the ASEAN market. Sitting within the product showcase area, SPS Stage Kuala Lumpur and the product showcases will together welcome nine contributors from Italy, Malaysia and Switzerland, putting the latest robotics and automation technology within reach of visitors. Among the contributors, solution providers Mr Robot and Work E Robotics will demonstrate their humanoid robot solutions in factory automation scenarios, showing how these technologies perform in production settings.
Attendees can also participate in Tech Lab sessions to discover and experience advanced technologies first-hand, connect with specialists from various sectors, and enhance their knowledge through workshops and discussions. Highlighted sessions include:
- Bridging the Gap: Affordable Industrial Controllers for Modern Automation
Mr Abdul Qayyum Bin Abd Rashid, Sales Application Engineer, Cytron Technologies Sdn Bhd, will explore the development and application of affordable industrial controllers designed to connect traditional industrial systems with modern, flexible automation solutions. - From ERP Plans to Shop-Floor Reality: Where AI Actually Creates Value
Mr Mathan Muniandy, Chief Solutions Officer, Hypernix Sdn Bhd, will address how AI helps close the distance between ERP planning assumptions and shop-floor reality, providing real-time data across production and finance.
Entry to the product showcase area and Tech Lab sessions is free for professionals aged 18 and above. An admission fee is required to participate in the conference:
- Early bird rate (available until 12 May): MYR 2,150/person
- Two-day conference ticket: MYR 2,400/person
- Group purchase (three or more tickets): MYR 1,600/person
All prices are subject to local prevailing sales and service tax. For Malaysian delegates and Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) registered companies, these fees may be claimed under the HRD Corp levy. To register for the event, please visit https://qr.messefrankfurt.com/C2390.
Intelligent Manufacturing Kuala Lumpur is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The event is also supported by a number of prominent organisations and industry associations, including:
- Communication 21 Media Group Sdn Bhd
- Federation of Malaysian Skills Development Centres (FMSDC)
- Hong Kong Productivity Council
- International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA)
- Intrinsic SEA
- Malaysia Board of Technologies (MBOT)
- Malaysia IoT Association (MyIoT)
- Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)
- Malaysia Robotics & Automation Society (MyRAS)
- Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers’ Association (MRPMA)
- MyDIGITAL Corporation
- Plastic & Rubber Institute Malaysia (PRIM)
- Smart4wrd
- Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robotics Association (TAIROA)
- The National ESG Association of Malaysia
- TusStar Malaysia
- Technical consultants:
- Malaysian Smart Factory 4.0
- Swiss Smart Factory
- World Manufacturing Foundation
Co-located event:
- Automechanika Kuala Lumpur: 14 – 16 May 2026, Halls 1 – 6 of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre www.automechanika-kl.com
Press information and photographic material:
https://myintelligentmanufacturing.hk.messefrankfurt.com/kualalumpur/zh-cn/press.html
Intelligent Manufacturing Kuala Lumpur on social media:
www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-manufacturing-imkl/
www.facebook.com/intelligent.manufacturing.kualalumpur
www.instagram.com/imklconference/
#IMKL #IntelligentManufacturingKualaLumpur #SmartManufacturing
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,700* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2025 were around € 766* million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and
the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
*Preliminary figures 2025
Background information on Selangor Human Resource Development Centre
The Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) is a leading organization in Malaysia dedicated to enhancing human capital and fostering industry collaboration to drive economic growth and technological advancement. Established in 1992 as a nation’s call to enable personal and organizational development. As of today, more than 100,000 participants have gone through talent development and training programs with us and SHRDC spans with over 100 courses over 6 strategic business units with over 200 competent trainers. SHRDC is located in Section 13 Shah Alam.
For more information, please visit www.shrdc.org.my
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