Professor Kamal Youcef-Toumi
Mechatronics Research Laboratory (MRL)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

KEYNOTE TITLE

 RESEARCH THAT MOVES THE NATION

Professor Kamal Youcef-Toumi is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, where he joined the faculty in 1986. He earned his M.S. in 1981 and Sc.D. in 1985 in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1979.

Academic Roles and Leadership

He currently serves as Director of the Mechatronics Research Laboratory at MIT, a position he has held since 1986. He is also Director of the Ibn Khaldun Fellowship for Saudi Arabian Women (since 2011) and Co-Director of the Center for Complex Engineering Systems (since 2017). As of November 2024, he became Director of the Global MIT At-Risk Fellows Palestine programme.

Research Focus

His research and teaching interests focus on design, modelling, simulation, instrumentation, and automatic control systems. Applications include manufacturing, robotics, automation, metrology, and nano/biotechnology. He notably developed an atomic force microscope that enables scientists to watch nanoscale chemical processes in near-real time.

Professor Shaligram Pokharel

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,College of Engineering, Qatar University, Qatar

KEYNOTE TITLE

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF SPARES AND LOGISTICS
 

Prof. Shaligram Pokharel is a Professor in the Industrial and Systems Engineering program at Qatar University, with over 20 years of international experience in systems engineering, engineering management, and energy planning, holding a PhD and master’s in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo. He has published over 100 papers and is recognized among the Top 2% World Researchers in a Stanford University report.

Academic roles and leadership
He serves as Professor at Qatar University and Director of the Global Accreditation Center at the Project Management Institute, while also acting as a Registered Reviewer for Qatar’s National Committee for Qualification and Academic Accreditation and a Visiting Professor at Kathmandu University, Nepal. His leadership portfolio includes foundational and senior volunteer roles in the PMI Singapore Chapter and global PMI bodies such as the Chapter Member Advisory Group and Academic Insight Team.

Research focus
His research centers on systems engineering and engineering management, particularly energy planning, humanitarian logistics, reverse logistics, and supply chain resilience. He develops models and decision-support tools that help design and manage robust, sustainable industrial and supply chain systems under uncertainty and disruption.

Professor Benny E. Tjahjono

 Centre for E-Mobility and Clean Growth, Coventry University, UK

KEYNOTE TITLE

IS THERE LIFE AFTER EV? THE SECOND LIFE OF EV BATTERIES AND FUTURE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES.
 

Prof. Benny Tjahjono is a Professor of Sustainability and Supply Chain Management at Coventry University, specialising in sustainable operations and the Circular Economy.

Academic Roles and Leadership

Prof. Tjahjono leads the Clean Growth research theme at the Centre for E‑Mobility and Clean Growth, Coventry University. He previously held progressive academic posts at Cranfield University, including Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader at Cranfield School of Management.

He serves as Director of Research Engagement (Indonesia), building strategic collaborations with Indonesian ministries and more than 30 universities, and was Leader of the Sustainable Production & Consumption Cluster at Coventry University. Earlier, he directed the Manufacturing Masters Programme and key MSc programmes in manufacturing systems at Cranfield and sat on the Senior Management Team of its Manufacturing and Materials Department. His leadership has been recognised through awards such as the Research Excellence Award (Coventry University) and Research Award (Cranfield School of Management), as well as appointments as World Class Professor (Indonesia) and International Fellow of JSPS.

Research Focus

His research centres on sustainable operations and supply chain management, with a strong focus on the transition to a Circular Economy in industrial and supply chain contexts. He has secured approximately £12 million in research and contract funding from bodies including EPSRC, ESRC, InnovateUK, the European Commission, UKRI and Indonesian agencies.

Key topics in his portfolio include electric vehicle component recovery and battery supply chains, second‑life batteries, bioplastic and coffee supply chains, reverse logistics, and science diplomacy for tackling plastic pollution. He has over 140 publications and an h‑index of 28 on Scopus, and has supervised 19 PhD and more than 120 master’s students, often linking research with industrial collaborations involving companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes‑Benz, Unipart and Coca‑Cola Enterprises.

INDUSTRIAL FORUM PANELLISTS

Can Malaysia Engineer the Next Industrial Revolution?

Bridging Research, Semiconductor, Innovation, Digital

Transformation and Sustainable Manufacturing

MODERATOR : Professor Dato' Ir. Dr. Mohd Hamdi Bin Abd Shukor

Dr. Eu Poh Leng

NXP Semiconductors

Dr. Eu Poh Leng is an accomplished Malaysian engineer and semiconductor packaging specialist with 29 years of professional experience in Motorola, Freescale, and NXP Semiconductors in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya. She currently serves as Senior Director of External Package Innovation, where she leads engineers and site managers responsible for new technology and new product introduction activities involving NXP products across 18 outsourced semiconductor assembly and test sites worldwide. Her work focuses on the development, qualification, implementation, and continuous improvement of semiconductor packaging technologies, processes, and materials. 

Dr. Eu holds a PhD in Engineering, specialising in Electrical, Electronics and Systems, from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She also obtained a Master of Engineering in Design and Manufacturing from the University of Malaya, where her research examined the energetic requirements, muscle fatigue, and musculoskeletal risks associated with prolonged standing among Malaysian female operators. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, with Second Class Upper Honours, from the University of Malaya, completing a final-year project on the design of a palm oil refinery plant. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Eu has made significant contributions to semiconductor packaging research and innovation. She has published 88 technical papers and four journal articles, and holds 28 filed patents and 12 issued patents. Her professional achievements include the Freescale Author Champion Award in 2011, recognition as one of the Top Three Innovators in 2012, and the IEEE Malaysia Women in Engineering Award in July 2024. She also served as Chairwoman of the IEEE Electronic Packaging Society Malaysia Chapter from 2023 to 2024, reflecting her leadership and standing within the engineering and semiconductor communities

Ahmad Fuzli Fuad

National Aerospace & Defence
Industries Sdn. Bhd.

Ahmad Fuzli Fuad is a Malaysian aerospace and defense industry executive currently serving as Vice President of Defence & Manufacturing (and former CEO/COO) at SME Aerospace.Professional BackgroundCurrent Role: Vice President of Defence & Manufacturing at SME Aerospace (previously served as CEO and COO).Early Career: Began in 1988 at AIROD as a System Research Engineer, working across production planning, aircraft maintenance, and strategic planning, later becoming Head of Commercial MRO in 2006.NADI Group: Held leadership positions across companies under the National Aerospace & Defence Industries (NADI) group.Industry Associations: Serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA).Education & Personal LifeEducation: Holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Aviation/Airway Management and Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Attended Sekolah Alam Shah for secondary school.Affiliations: An Honorary Major in the Royal Malaysian Air Force Reserve Unit, a pilot, and an adventure enthusiast.

Professor Ir. Dr. Ghazali Omar

Universiti Teknikal
Malaysia Melaka (UTEM)

Professor Ir. Dr. Ghazali bin Omar is a distinguished academic and researcher in advanced materials, materials science, and engineering at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). He currently serves as the Head of the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory (AMCHAL), Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, where he contributes to research, teaching, laboratory development, and postgraduate supervision. He has also held leadership positions in research and advanced manufacturing, including Director of Advanced Manufacturing Centre and Manager of the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Research in Energy (CARE).

Professor Ghazali obtained his PhD in Physics, specialising in Solid-State Diffusion, from the University of Malaya, following a Master of Technology in Material Sciences from the same institution. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. His areas of expertise include advanced materials characterisation, materials science and metallurgy, solid-state diffusion, semiconductor packaging and failure analysis, non-destructive testing, engineering materials, microelectronics materials engineering, advanced manufacturing, and energy research.

With more than 90 journal articles, conference proceedings, industry publications, book chapters, and manuscripts, Professor Ghazali has made significant contributions to materials and manufacturing research. His work includes studies on conductive inks, polymer composites, electrically conductive adhesives, environmental durability, and material compatibility. He has also undertaken consultancy and industrial projects involving smart technology, biological industrial assessments, material characterisation, failure analysis, and cone-laying system development, while contributing to intellectual property in areas such as conductive inks, flexible and stretchable systems, and automated manufacturing equipment.