Global Experts in Automatic Control to Gather in Busan... IFAC World Congress Kicks Off on 23rd

August 23-28 at BEXCO, Participants from 75 Countries


Second Time in Korea in 18 Years, Largest Event in History

Over 4,400 researchers and industry experts in the field of automatic control from around the world will gather in Busan.

The city of Busan (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced on August 18 that the 23rd World Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) will be held at BEXCO from August 23 to August 28, spanning six days.

This conference, hosted by the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) and organized by the Institute of Control, Robotics, and Systems, is a global academic event in automatic control held every three years since its inception in 1957. The last time it was held in Korea was at the 17th Congress in Seoul in 2008, making this the first event in 18 years.

More than 4,400 people from over 75 countries have registered for the conference. Among them, about 3,600 overseas researchers and industry experts are expected to visit Busan. This marks the largest participation in the event’s history.

During the conference, BEXCO’s 37 meeting rooms will host plenary sessions, workshops, paper presentations, and exhibitions, focusing on nine main themes and 39 technical divisions.

Competitions for students have also been prepared. Through events like the Robo-Racer Grand Prix, Mini Drone Challenge, and Wearable Robot Challenge, students from around the world will compete in automatic control and robotics technologies.

Programs for local youth in Busan are linked with the conference. On August 22, an experiential workshop with an AI robotic arm will be held for 30 local middle school students. On August 26, “IFAC Young Robot Explorers” will invite around 60 elementary and middle school students to participate. The program includes a robot performance, lecture, and a hands-on session where students can build robots together with experts.

There will also be opportunities for citizens to attend lectures by world-renowned robotics scholars. At 7:30 p.m. on August 24 in the BEXCO Auditorium, a special lecture titled “AI and Robots Opening the Future” will be held. Professor Ken Goldberg from UC Berkeley will give a talk titled “Physical Artificial Intelligence: The AI and Robots of Our Future.”

Professor Ken Goldberg is a leading researcher in artificial intelligence and robotics, and during his lecture, he will explain, with videos and case studies, how AI is transforming the real world when combined with sensors and robotics technologies.

The lecture will be conducted in English, with real-time Korean subtitles provided by AI. It is open to the public free of charge.

The opening ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. on August 23 in the BEXCO Auditorium. It will begin with performances by the Busan City Dance Company, including Ogomu and Pungmulnori, followed by an introduction of the conference and key programs. Afterwards, attendees will move to the Busan Cinema Center for a welcome reception featuring a drone light show.

The closing ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on August 28. The event will feature an orchestral performance conducted by Baek Yoonhak, an awards ceremony, an introduction to the next event site for “IFAC 2029” in the Netherlands, and an official declaration of closure.

Park Dongseok, Director-General for Advanced Industry at the city of Busan, emphasized, “The 23rd World Congress is a large-scale academic conference where researchers and industry experts from around the world gather in Busan to share the latest research and technology in the field of automatic control. It is a unique opportunity to meet some of the world’s most renowned scholars in AI and robotics right here in Busan.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.