The Fifth General Meeting of IARA was held in Hangzhou Qingshan Lake Science and Technology City.
On the morning of November 30, 2024, the fifth General Meeting of the International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA) was held in Qingshan Lake Science and Technology City, Hangzhou. Leaders from IARA members including the Zhejiang Robot Industry Association (ZRIA) , The Robotics Society in Finland , Spanish Robotics Association, Malaysia Robotics and Automation Society Spanish Technological Platform for Robotics (HispaRob) , Israel Intelligent Robotics Center （IIRC）, Asia Pacific Assistive Robotics Association (APARA), Silicon Valley Robotics (SVR), China-Japan Robotics Alliance of Asian Association for Technology Communication (CJRA) , Guangdong Robotics Association, and China Chongqing Robot Industry Alliance (CCRIA) attended the meeting. The Nepal Robotics Association, Shanghai Robotics Association, and Anhui Province Robotics Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance participated as observers.
The meeting was chaired by IARA Chairman and former President of Zhejiang University of Technology, Professor Zhang Libin. IARA Secretary-General and Executive Director of SVR, Andra Keay, along with IARA Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Zhang Xuequn, provided a report on the work of the secretariat. Andra Keay also proposed promoting the clustered development experience of the robotics industry in Silicon Valleyto other regions. She explained that Silicon Valley has built a unique innovation ecosystem through a strong research foundation, flexible capital investment, and close industrial linkages. She hopes to use the IARA platform to help member regions establish robotics industry clusters similar to SVR, providing a new paradigm for the sustainable development of the global robotics industry.
The CEO of IARA Headquarters Operations Company, and Executive President of ZRIA, Mr. Xu Chi, gave a work report on the IARA Headquarters and provided a detailed analysis of the future operational strategies of the IARA Headquarters.
The Chairman of the IARA Innovation Committee and the Co-Chair of IIRC, Yosi Lahad, presented a work report on the Innovation Committee. He proposed collaborating with Zhejiang University to jointly establish a robotics project innovation incubator. He stated that this incubator would combine academic research and industrial practice to provide technical support, funding, and commercialization guidance to global robotics startups, thereby promoting innovation and transformation in robotics technology.
Dr. Xia Fang, head of the International Agricultural Robotics Innovation Center and Deputy Director of the Digital Countryside Research Institute at Zhejiang A&F University, delivered a report on the construction of the International Agricultural Robotics Innovation Center. She showcased technological breakthroughs in areas such as precision fertilization and unmanned harvesting by agricultural robots and shared application practices of robots in global sustainable agricultural development. She proposed further strengthening multi-party collaboration and technology export.
The President of Zhejiang Highway Technician College, Che Jiong, proposed the establishment of an International Robot Industry-Education Integration Innovation Center. He advocated for the creation of international standards for robotics vocational education, covering areas such as curriculum development, teaching models, teaching meterial design, and testing and evaluation. President Che emphasized that this standard will fill the global gap in robotics vocational education and provide systematic solutions for cultivating internationally competitive professionals.
The Vice Chairman of IARA and Chairman of IARA Education Committee, as well as Honorary Advisor of APARA, Oliver Tian, introduced the development concept of robotics education and training. He emphasized that the integration of robotics and artificial intelligence education will occupy an important position in the youth education system of the future. He pointed out that adolescence is a critical period for cultivating technical thinking and innovation capabilities. The education system needs to introduce robotics and AI into the foundational education system through comprehensive project-based learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practice-oriented teaching models to meet the demand for versatile talents in future society. Subsequently, IARA headquarters staffs introduced the preliminary preparations for training certifications and other work, and various members discussed and expressed their opinions.
The Vice Chairman of IARA and Chairman of the Standards Committee, as well as President of MyRAS, Dr. Ishkandar Baharin, presented a work report on the Standards Committee. The Chairman of the IARA Competition Committee and Board Member of HispaRob, Ignacio Secades, presented a work report on the Competition Committee.
In the general meeting, the application of the Nepal Robotics Association to become a new member has been approved. The new member will further expand the international footprint of the alliance and inject new momentum into the development of the robotics industry in the South Asia region.
Finally, Chairman Zhang Libin summarized: "IARA will continue to promote deep cooperation in the field of global robotics technology and education , providing strong support for industry standardization, technological innovation, and educational popularization. Our goal is to build an intelligent and globalized robotics ecosystem through collaborative innovation, contributing to the development of the international robotics industry!"
