Delegates and scientists attend the 5th conference on materials, machines, and methods for sustainable development in HCM City from November 5-8. — Photos Courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — More than 400 leading scientists, researchers, and delegates from 15 countries and territories gathered at the four-day conference on materials, machines, and methods for sustainable development (MMMS 2026), which officially opened on November 6 to chart advanced technological pathways for global sustainability.

The event, organised by the Vietnam Association for Science Editing (VASE) in collaboration with Petrovietnam University (PVU) and key domestic and international partners, highlights the critical convergence of academia and industry in tackling pressing environmental and resource challenges.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Phan Minh Quốc Bình, rector of PVU, said that as the world confronts severe global challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and the imperative energy transition, scientific research must translate into practical solutions that enhance quality of life and safeguard the environment.

“As a university within Petrovietnam’s ecosystem, PVU remains firmly committed to closely linking education and scientific research with the practical production needs of the energy industry,” Bình said.

Prof. DrSc. Bành Tiến Long, conference chair and VASE president, said the MMMS series, launched in 2018 and held biennially, had evolved into a prestigious international academic forum.

The conference aligned closely with the Vietnamese Government’s strategic push to leverage science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence (AI) as core drivers for sustainable growth.

Việt Nam’s remarkable economic progress over the past three decades had been heavily underpinned by international cooperation, particularly in advancing science and technology, Prof. DrSc. Đặng Vũ Minh, Honorary President of VUSTA, said.

“MMMS 2026 will further solidify effective partnerships between domestic and international scientific communities.”

From an educational standpoint, Prof. Dr Nguyễn Tiến Thảo, head of the Higher Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, said successfully hosting a conference of this scale in the city was "effectively bridging academic theory with industrial application while nurturing young researchers".

Prof. DrSc. Bành Tiến Long, conference chair and VASE president, speaks at the opening ceremony of 5th conference on materials, machines, and methods for sustainable development on November 6.

 Rigorous research and core technological trends

MMMS 2026 recorded an impressive academic response, receiving over 400 abstracts and 300 full manuscripts across 15 technical sub-committees.

The organising panel, following a stringent double peer-review process conducted by an international scientific committee, selected 125 oral presentations and 136 poster presentations.

Outstanding research works will be considered for publication in prestigious international Scopus-indexed outlets, including Springer’s Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering (LNME) series and Surface Review and Letters.

The conference programme features in-depth plenary and parallel sessions focusing on core technological trends, life cycle engineering, low-emission technology, advanced materials, AI-driven digitalisation.

The scientific agenda features keynote lectures delivered by world-renowned experts, including Prof. Jungil Song (Changwon National University, South Korea), Prof. Hiromi Isobe (Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan), Prof. Jiwang Yan (Keio University, Japan), Prof. Kim Yun-Hea (National Korea Maritime and Ocean University, South Korea), and Assoc. Prof. Dr Phạm Huy Giao (PVU).

The success of MMMS 2026 underscores VASE and PVU’s capacity to orchestrate high-level international scientific events in HCM City, while reinforcing Petrovietnam’s pioneering role in advancing the energy transition, green growth, and a sustainable circular economy.

Partner institutions include Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University in South Korea, Nagaoka University of Technology in Japan, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association, the Vietnam Federation of Mechanical Engineering Associations, and the Council of Asian Science Editors. — VNS