International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction 2026

Hyoungkwan KIM, Ph.D. is a Professor of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University, Korea. His areas of research include construction automation, infrastructure adaptation to climate change, and project finance. He is the principal investigator of a $10.5 million research program titled “Smart Safety Assurance for Temporary Structures,” which is a part of smart construction initiative sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology and Advancement. He serves as Vice- President for the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC), and Associate Editor for Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He also served as Secretary General for Association for Engineering Education in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (AEESEAP). He has received six excellent teaching awards and an excellent research award from Yonsei University.

Naoki Sato joined Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure Co., Ltd. in 2022, and he is responsible for financing and execution of exit strategies for domestic and overseas power generation projects and related assets. In 2008 he joined a megabank, working at a branch office, and worked in project finance lending, advisory, syndication, and bond sales for over 10 years in Tokyo and London.

After graduating from University of Tsukuba in 1994, Dr. Yasushi NITTA joined the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). There he is widely engaged in policy planning, public works and R&D in the various departments, such as MLIT Headquarters, Regional Development Bureau, National Road Office, National Research Institutes (PWRI, NILIM), Advanced Construction Technology Center (ACTEC). He is especially responsible for the planning and operation of on-site verification projects to promote the introduction of robots to the infrastructure department, development/deployment/budgeting/operation of disaster countermeasure machines, and nationwide deployment of machine construction (i-Construction) using 3D data. Dr. NITTA is also engaged in establishing technical standards for the purpose, demonstrating ultra-long-distance unmanned construction technology, and flood control as an international emergency relief team.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein is a professor, Research Chair in the Industrialization and Decarbonization of Construction, in the of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. He held the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in the Industrialization of Building Construction and was the inaugural director of the Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering. He is a highly sought researcher in the areas of modular and offsite construction, lean manufacturing, construction process optimization, and BIM. Dr. Al-Hussein’s research has been published in over 400 articles in leading journals and conference proceedings.

Farzad is a Professor of Digital Engineering at the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, UK. He is the leader of the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and Open Research and Output Quality Lead, SCEDT, Teesside University. He is Editor in Chief: Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SCI/JCR IF=3.6, CiteScore Tracker: 9.1) and Associate Editor: AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION (SCI/JCR IF=10.3, Citescore: 16.7). Farzad has a robust research track record delivering more than 200 quality publications and more than 3800 citations. Farzad’s research covers various aspects of Construction 5.0, with a strong emphasis on adopting cutting-edge technologies to serve the NetZero and sustainability agenda, including XR for H&S training, AI and deep-learning for sustainable infrastructures and logistics, smart construction, circular construction, energy policies, data-driven digital twins, demand response optimisation, smart energies, DLT and blockchain technologies, and social innovation. Farzad has successfully led several high-profile research projects – from H2021, InnovateUK through to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Data Lab, and Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC). Farzad secured research and innovation income of over £2.5m. This expertise and standing are also recognised through several high-profile bodies, including the International Council for Building (CIB) and buildingSMART International. He graduated with 10 PhD students in the topics across the fields above, and some of them are already senior academics at reputable institutions such as the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Salford, and some hold leadership positions in the industry.

Farzad is a Professor of Digital Engineering at the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, UK. He is the leader of the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and Open Research and Output Quality Lead, SCEDT, Teesside University. He is Editor in Chief: Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SCI/JCR IF=3.6, CiteScore Tracker: 9.1) and Associate Editor: AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION (SCI/JCR IF=10.3, Citescore: 16.7). Farzad has a robust research track record delivering more than 200 quality publications and more than 3800 citations. Farzad’s research covers various aspects of Construction 5.0, with a strong emphasis on adopting cutting-edge technologies to serve the NetZero and sustainability agenda, including XR for H&S training, AI and deep-learning for sustainable infrastructures and logistics, smart construction, circular construction, energy policies, data-driven digital twins, demand response optimisation, smart energies, DLT and blockchain technologies, and social innovation. Farzad has successfully led several high-profile research projects – from H2021, InnovateUK through to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Data Lab, and Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC). Farzad secured research and innovation income of over £2.5m. This expertise and standing are also recognised through several high-profile bodies, including the International Council for Building (CIB) and buildingSMART International. He graduated with 10 PhD students in the topics across the fields above, and some of them are already senior academics at reputable institutions such as the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Salford, and some hold leadership positions in the industry.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein is a professor, Research Chair in the Industrialization and Decarbonization of Construction, in the of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. He held the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in the Industrialization of Building Construction and was the inaugural director of the Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering. He is a highly sought researcher in the areas of modular and offsite construction, lean manufacturing, construction process optimization, and BIM. Dr. Al-Hussein’s research has been published in over 400 articles in leading journals and conference proceedings.

Farzad is a Professor of Digital Engineering at the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, UK. He is the leader of the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and Open Research and Output Quality Lead, SCEDT, Teesside University. He is Editor in Chief: Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SCI/JCR IF=3.6, CiteScore Tracker: 9.1) and Associate Editor: AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION (SCI/JCR IF=10.3, Citescore: 16.7). Farzad has a robust research track record delivering more than 200 quality publications and more than 3800 citations. Farzad's research covers various aspects of Construction 5.0, with a strong emphasis on adopting cutting-edge technologies to serve the NetZero and sustainability agenda, including XR for H&S training, AI and deep-learning for sustainable infrastructures and logistics, smart construction, circular construction, energy policies, data-driven digital twins, demand response optimisation, smart energies, DLT and blockchain technologies, and social innovation. Farzad has successfully led several high-profile research projects – from H2021, InnovateUK through to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Data Lab, and Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC). Farzad secured research and innovation income of over £2.5m. This expertise and standing are also recognised through several high-profile bodies, including the International Council for Building (CIB) and buildingSMART International. He graduated with 10 PhD students in the topics across the fields above, and some of them are already senior academics at reputable institutions such as the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Salford, and some hold leadership positions in the industry.

Prof. Bock's research and prototype development work focuses on AI, automation, and robotics for an affordable energy-efficient built environment, its