Dr. Cai Linning is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and has built a distinguished academic and professional career at the intersection of industrial engineering, artificial intelligence, and healthcare innovation. With nearly two decades of research and consulting experience, Dr. Cai’s work bridges theory and practice, with a special focus on supply chain management, smart logistics, digital transformation, and interdisciplinary applications in medicine and engineering.
He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) Education Center at Tsinghua University and is the Founding Director of the Tsinghua– University of North Carolina Executive MBA-MEM program. Previously, he also served as Director of the Logistics Engineering Laboratory in the Department of Industrial Engineering and as the Chinese Director of the Tsinghua–UNC Center for Logistics and Enterprise Development.
Dr. Cai’s research expertise encompasses computer simulation, large‑model multimodal applications, enterprise digital transformation, strategic management, supply chain planning, smart logistics, and interdisciplinary medical‑engineering systems. His applied projects are characterized by the creative integration of AI technologies with systemic design to serve real‑world challenges across industry and healthcare.
He has directed over twenty government and corporate projects in regional strategic logistics planning and supply chain optimization. Key city-level initiatives include:
- Smart logistics master planning for the Xiong’an New Area (official English translation, a state-level strategic development region in Hebei Province)
- Strategic chemical logistics layout for Chongqing Municipality
- Air logistics strategy formulation for Zhengzhou City
Among his enterprise-level engagements are strategic and operational improvements for:
- China Post Group (Xiong’an business strategic planning)
- Shenhua Group (national supply chain network optimization for coal chemical production) Cai Linning Associate Professor Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University Email: cailn@tsinghua.edu.cn Office: Room 211A, Shunde Building, Tsinghua University, Beijing, CHINA
- Sinochem Group (fertilizer supply chain optimization)
- China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) (international supply chain planning)
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) (B2B supply chain modeling)
- Qilu Transportation Group (logistics development mode design)
- Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group and Guangxi Tobacco Group (comprehensive supply chain and logistics strategies)
Expanding his interdisciplinary reach, Dr. Cai leads high-impact projects that fuse engineering and medical science, leveraging AI for innovations in patient care. These collaborations include:
- An ICU patient agitation detection and early warning system (in partnership with Beijing University Third Hospital)
- A digital “rehabilitation physician” for movement therapy and recovery (with Peking Union Medical College Hospital)
- An intelligent nursing robot (developed with Beijing Aerospace General Hospital)
- Predictive modeling of inflammatory cells and cytokines in sepsis treatment within emergency medicine (with Tianjin Medical University General Hospital)
These initiatives exemplify his commitment to translating advanced engineering methodologies into impactful clinical tools.
Dr. Cai has published more than thirty peer‑reviewed articles in prestigious domestic and international journals and holds five invention patents in supply chain systems and AIenabled healthcare technologies.
Dr. Cai’s career reflects deep scholarly rigor, visionary leadership, and an unwavering focus on cross-sectoral innovation—from advancing smart logistics and resilient supply chains to developing AI-driven solutions that elevate clinical care.
