Our space
The Acceleration Consortium (AC) is a global centre for materials research and innovation at the University of Toronto (U of T). Our core facilities include 6 state-of-the-art self-driving labs (SDLs) at U of T and 1 at the University of British Columbia. These labs use AI and automation to accelerate the discovery of a wide range of materials and molecules needed for a resiliant and sustainable future, including catalysts for CO2 conversion, non-corroding metals, and anti-cancer drugs. Our SDLs are led by more than 35 staff scientists and a cohort of over 75 faculty. The labs are open core facilities that support the research and development efforts of the AC and our academic, industrial, and government partners, as well as the greater community. In addition to our own SDLs, we have access to over 30 others across Canada and internationally through our consortium members.
In 2023, the AC received a $200M investment from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) that allowed us to expand our capacity and facilities. As part of this expansion, renovations are currently underway at the University of Toronto’s Lash Miller building, which will house a selection of our SDLs and other facilities. Each SDL is also supported by:
- the AI and Automation Lab with expertise in creating the machine learning algorithms and custom automation required to accelerate scientific discovery
- the Lab for the Management of Science and Technology Lab (L-MOST) dedicated to more effectively managing scientific discovery and innovation, including improving research processes and technology adoption.
- the Indigenous Science and Ethical Substance Lab (ISES) focused on creating visions and protocols that ground scientific practices and understandings of substance in Indigenous and environmental values and research methods
