Our story
Based at the University of Toronto, the Acceleration Consortium (AC) is a global community of government, academia, and industry that uses AI and automation to accelerate the discovery of materials and molecules needed for a sustainable future—such as life-saving medications, biodegradable plastics, and renewable energy.
The Problem
We need better materials, now. But conventional materials discovery is complex and slow: There are more potential materials than atoms in the universe. And many of our most widely used materials are not good for us:
90% of the world’s plastic waste fails to be recycled and pollutes our land and water
PFAS or “foreverchemicals” are ubiquitous in the formulation of thousands of products likeclothes, cosmetics, and cookware
The cement we use for our buildings and roads account for at least 8% of all global emissions
We are fundamentally changing the way we do science through the development of self-driving labs (SDLs).
Like a self-driving car, SDLs use AI and automation, but instead of getting a passenger from point A to B, these autonomous labs create new materials in a smarter way for a fraction of the usual time and cost. Materials are critical to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, like catalysts to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, membranes to filter water, and molecules to treat cancer or bacterial-resistant disease.
The Impact
The incredible potential of materials to create new technologies and transform everyday products is estimated to yield a $1 trillion industry over the next decade. More than this, we have the potential of creating a world of safer, more sustainable materials that will improve our environment and our well-being.
Self-driving labs can be used to discover or optimize almost any type of material or molecule including:
Health
Improved therapeutics and anti-viral coatings, and safer drug formulations
Construction + Transportation
Lighter, stronger, corrosion-resistant alloys, and eco-friendly cement
Energy
Efficient clean energy production, low-cost photovoltaics, and long-lasting batteries
Green Products
Biodegradable plastics and fibres from renewable sources, eco-friendly cosmetics and personal care products
Electronics
Energy-efficient LEDs, sensitive light detectors, and wearable devices
New!
Entirely novel classes of materials that we have yet to imagine
We have four overarching goals
The AC's four areas of focus help to shape and guide our activities throughout the year:
We accelerate the discovery of materials by advancing the science of AI-driven, autonomous “self-driving” labs (SDLs)
We evaluate the economic and social dimensions of responsible discovery, learning from community and Indigenous experts to guide our materials and technologies toward the benefit of society and the planet
We train today’s talent with the skills in AI, automaton, and ethics needed to advance the emerging field of accelerated discovery
We connect key players in the innovation space to de-risk the design and commercialization of SDLs and the sustainable materials and molecules they discover
We are building a world-leading centre for accelerated materials discovery, thanks in part to a $200 million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.
Led by Alán Aspuru-Guzik, the AC’s growing community includes staff scientists, industry and academic partners, and global members across a wide variety of disciplines. Our facilities include 6 self-driving labs at the University of Toronto and an additional lab at one of our partner institutions, the University of British Columbia, with access to more than 30 self-driving labs worldwide. As part of our open innovation mandate, the AC labs also support research and development for our partners around the globe — placing Toronto and Canada at the very centre of the materials discovery revolution.