On 6 June 2026 in Vienna, Austria, the Center for Biomedical and Robotics Technology (BART LAB) of the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, successfully led Thailand’s bid to host the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2030. This is recognized as the world's largest and most influential conference on robotics and artificial intelligence. The Thai delegation was led by Associate Professor Dr. Jackrit Suthakorn, founder of the BART LAB, together with Dr. Nantida Nillahoot, Innovation Director, who presented Thailand’s vision and capabilities to the Administrative Committee (AdCom) of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS).

The bid received strong support from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), as well as from internationally renowned robotics scholars, including Professor Oussama Khatib of Stanford University, Professor Oliver Brock of the Technical University of Berlin, and Professor Gregory Chirikjian of Johns Hopkins University. Their contributions reinforced the position of Thailand as a highly capable host for one of the most prestigious events in the global robotics community.

Following the final evaluation, Thailand was selected as the host nation for ICRA 2030, defeating competing bids from other countries. This achievement positions Thailand at the center of the global robotics and AI ecosystem. The conference is expected to attract more than 12,000 researchers, academics, industry leaders, innovators, and robotics professionals from around the world. It will create opportunities for international collaboration, research partnerships, technology transfer, and economic growth.

This success reflects the collective efforts of the IEEE RAS Thailand Chapter, the Faculty of Engineering at Mahidol University, and the Thai Medical Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Association. The initiative was further strengthened by collaboration between leading universities and research organizations across Thailand. These include Mahidol University, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Chulalongkorn University, FIBO at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chiang Mai University, Prince of Songkla University, Thammasat University, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. These partners have helped elevate Thailand’s standing as a future global hub for robotics and artificial intelligence.