The 8th International Conference and Exhibition on Control and Automation

The event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Education and Training, the People’s Committee of Gia Lai Province, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), with the participation of numerous professional organizations and associations, research institutes, universities, and domestic and international enterprises.

According to the Organizing Committee, VCCA-2026 is themed “Intelligent automation - a strategic technology for the Digital Era”. The event will feature the following main activities: a scientific conference, a business forum, the Automation Technology Exhibition (AT Expo), showcasing new automation technologies and products, and the OCOP (One Commune One Product) Fair.

The VCCA Conference aims to establish a prestigious scientific forum of national and international standing in the field of control and automation. It also provides an opportunity for Vietnamese and international scientists to present the results of their research, and to exchange academic knowledge and professional experience with fellow researchers in the field.

Of the 178 scientific papers submitted to VCCA 2026, 157 successfully passed peer review and were accepted for presentation across 22 technical sessions. Compared with VCCA 2024, both the number of submitted papers and the number of accepted papers increased at VCCA 2026.

Nguyen Quan, President of the Vietnam Automation Association, visits exhibition booths at AT Expo

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thai Quang Vinh, Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, under the theme “Intelligent automation - a strategic technology for the Digital Era”, this year’s conference features many papers focusing on current topics, including industrial robotics and mobile robotics, with autonomous vehicles alone accounting for four technical sessions. The conference also places considerable emphasis on biomedical electronics, automation in public healthcare, and automation in agriculture.

A particular highlight of VCCA 2026 will be the plenary session immediately following the opening ceremony, featuring a presentation on robot embodied intelligence - the idea that intelligent behavior arises not only from computation, but also from the interaction among a robot’s body, sensors, controller, and the surrounding environment. The presentation explains that the robot’s body is no longer viewed merely as a mechanical structure to be controlled, but instead actively shapes perception, enables simpler control strategies, and contributes to adaptive behavior. This is particularly important for soft robotics, where material compliance, morphology, and physical interaction can be utilized as part of embodied intelligence.

The presentation will also cover several topics in soft robotics, including morphology-based designs for safety, sensing and control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robotic manipulators with adaptive morphology, and multimodal sensing.

The conference papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings. Selected papers will also be published in the Journal of Measurement, Control and Automation (MCA), with each publication receiving up to one academic credit point. The VCCA Scientific Committee will also select and present awards to the conference’s Best Papers.

The 5th International Conference and Exhibition on Control and Automation

The exhibition will also feature approximately 25-30 presentations by domestic and international experts, delivered through seminars and business forums. The main topics include intelligent technologies and innovation across various sectors of the economy; building a Make in Vietnam ecosystem for robotics and drones; renewable energy, human resource development, and the green transition in the Central and Central Highlands regions; and research cooperation and the application of science and technology to support socio-economic development in the region.

Through these seminars and business roundtables, a wide range of topical issues will be addressed, including digital transformation, the green transition, the circular economy, intelligent automation (robotics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data), integration into global supply chains through supporting industries, and sustainable development.

The event will provide a platform for networking and direct dialogue among policymakers, scientific research and educational institutions, and the Vietnamese and international business communities. Particular priority will be given to discussions on enterprise development strategies, investment promotion, expanding import and export markets in line with regional and local strengths, and maximizing the effectiveness of activities held within the framework of the event.

In addition, around 50-70 exhibition booths will showcase new products and advanced technological solutions developed by enterprises, research institutes, and educational institutions in the field of automation technology.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of VCCA 2024

The Organizing Committee expects the event to facilitate the signing of numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering investment cooperation, research and production development, technology human resource development, and the expansion of import and export markets. The concurrent organization of the OCOP (One Commune One Product) Trade Fair and the AT Expo Automation Technology Exhibition is expected to enrich the event programme and attract a large number of visitors.

According to Dr. Duong Nguyen Binh, Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Automation Association and Chairman of the VCCA 2026 Organizing Committee: “Following VCCA 2026, we will continue to maintain communication channels with the business community, professional organizations and associations, as well as domestic and international education and training institutions, so that the objectives of the event can be translated into concrete results, reaffirming the role of science and technology in promoting the socio-economic development of Gia Lai Province in particular and Vietnam as a whole”.