The School of Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (hereinafter referred to as “the School”) is committed to advancing research at the forefront of international academia. Centered on two major disciplines—Control Science and Engineering and Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering—the School conducts cutting-edge fundamental and applied basic research in response to major national needs and scientific challenges.

Its research areas span a broad spectrum, including advanced control theory and applications, multi-agent systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, networked systems, mobile communications, distributed optimization, design and manufacturing of advanced composite materials under AI-driven paradigms, intelligent system design and optimization, and intelligent interaction and product design, among others.

As of June 2025, the School has undertaken 218 research projects (including both governmental and industrial collaborations), with total funding exceeding 170 million RMB. These include 52 national-level projects, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Basic Science Center Program, Joint Fund Key Projects, Original Exploration Projects, Senior Foreign Scientists Projects, and Key Tasks under the National Key R&D Program; 30 provincial-level projects under programs such as the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory, Guangdong Key R&D Program, Guangdong International S&T Cooperation Program, and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation; 34 municipal-level projects supported by the Shenzhen Key Laboratory Program, Shenzhen High-Level Talent Team Program, and Shenzhen Basic Research Key Project; as well as 97 university–industry collaborative projects, including joint laboratories and applied research collaborations. Industrial partners include Huawei, ZTE, DJI, China Southern Power Grid, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., China Coal Machinery Co., Ltd., and Shengyi Technology Co., Ltd., among other leading enterprises and institutions.

By the end of 2024, faculty members of the School had published 799 papers affiliated with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in prestigious international journals and conferences, including 228 papers in IEEE Transactions and 515 papers indexed by SCI. The School has also filed 174 patents, with 36 patents granted.

The School’s research achievements have been recognized with numerous national and provincial awards, including selection in the “Top Ten Scientific Advances in Chinese Universities” by the Ministry of Education, the Second Prize of the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, the Second Prize of the Beijing Science and Technology Progress Award, the First Prize of the China Institute of Electronics Science and Technology Award, the First Prize of the China Invention Association Innovation Award, the First Prize of the Satellite Navigation and Positioning Science and Technology Progress Award, the First Prize of the China Computer Federation Science and Technology Award, and the First Prize of the China Communications Society Science and Technology Award.

Distinguished faculty members of the School have received global recognition for their research excellence. Chair Professor Liu Derong and Assistant Professor Li Hongfei were named Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers in 2023 and 2024. Academicians Duan Guangren, Lin Zhiyun, and Liu Derong were listed as Elsevier Highly Cited Chinese Scholars in 2023 and 2024, while Assistant Professor Yuan Weijie was recognized as an Elsevier Highly Cited Chinese Scholar in 2024.