Malta Hosts International Conference On Future Industry & Smart Manufacturing

The International Conference on the Industry of the Future and Smart Manufacturing (ISM 2025) took place from 12 to 14 November at the University of Malta Campus in Valletta.

Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, opened the seventh edition of the event, which brought together over 400 academics, researchers and experts from around the world. The conference focused on how research and innovation can guide industry towards a smarter, more digital and sustainable future.

In his address, Keith Azzopardi Tanti highlighted that, while Malta may not always be associated with manufacturing, the sector is a vital part of the national economy. He noted the strong mix of companies in semiconductors, automotive, biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and praised the engineering expertise and skills of Malta’s workforce.

He also stressed the Government’s commitment to supporting this sector through continued investment in research, development and innovation, as outlined in the Malta 2050 Vision, which prioritises circularity, digitalisation and environmental protection.

ISM 2025 featured over 100 sessions on topics including Artificial Intelligence, the Digital Product Passport and data-driven solutions for modern manufacturing.

Plenary sessions included presentations by Prof. Rodolfo Haber Guerra from Spain on Industry 5.0 and Prof. Maurizio Faccio from Italy on human-centric design. Other participants included experts from ETH Zurich, NTT Data and STMicroelectronics Malta.

The conference, organised by the University of Malta with European partners, also provided opportunities for young researchers through a doctoral workshop and B2B meetings, fostering collaboration between industry and academia.

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