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Why A CONSORTIUM?

Global issues require global approaches.

Materials and molecules are the foundation of virtually every major advancement in human history, from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, to the semiconductors that propelled the Information Age. They are also critical to solving nearly all the world’s major challenges, such as climate change, plastics pollution, and cancer. By convening experts across disciplines, sectors, and geographies, the AC aims to expedite research translation and commercialization that will drive the Age of Materials on Demand.

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What we do

To create a healthy, sustainable and resilient future, we need the right materials—now.

We build self-driving labs—that combine material science with the power of artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced computing—to rapidly design and test new materials. These autonomous labs reduce the time and cost of bringing advanced materials to market, from an average of 20 years and $100 million to as little as one year and $1 million.

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ACCELERATED DISCOVERY

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Robotics

Advanced Computing

Materials and
Molecular Science

Our OBJECTIVES

We have 4 overarching goals

¹Research

To accelerate materials discovery, while making fundamental breakthroughs in related fields like AI, robotics, materials science, and informed by ethics, economics, and Indigenous science and technology studies

²Talent

To train today’s researchers with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated science

³Network

To connect key players in the value chain to expedite the design and commercialization of sustainable materials and molecules addressing a wide range of needs and applications

⁴Adoption

To ensure that all materials and technologies are ethically designed to benefit society and the planet by engaging with community and Indigenous knowledges

HOW WE DO IT

Self-driving labs use artificial intelligence (AI) and computational modelling to predict which advanced materials or small molecules will have the properties (e.g. conductivity) required for a particular application.

A robotic lab then uses these predictions to autonomously synthesize and test it for said properties. This data is then fed back into the AI system, so that it can learn from the results to generate a new, better slate of candidates. After rounds of predictions, syntheses, and tests, a winner emerges. By inverting the usual discovery process, this closed-loop technology allows scientists to first define the desired properties and then work backwards to develop whole families of new materials without tedious hours of trial and experiments in the lab.

VIDEO LOOP: 1. ADA at the University of British Columbia (Curtis Berlinguette, Jason Hein, Alán Aspuru-Guzik); 2. Artificial Chemist synthesizes made-to-measure inoroganic perovskite quantum dots (Milad Abolhasani, NC State University); 3. Robotically reconfigurable flow chemistry platform performs multistep chemical syntheses planned in part by AI (Connor Coley, MIT); 4. Chemputer, a computer-driven automated chemistry lab (Lee Cronin, University of Glasgow); 5. Mobile robot chemist (Andy Cooper, University of Liverpool)

WHAT WE DISCOVER

We make advanced materials that improve upon conventional ones by providing superior performance across several categories, including longevity, environmental impact, and cost.

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Applicattion Areas

As a platform technology, self-driving labs are largely material agnostic and can be applied to a wide range of areas. Scroll to discover.

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HEALTHCARE

Antiviral coatings, drug delivery and bio-compatible polymers for regenerative medicine

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DRUGS

Molecular design, testing and production of drugs and therapeutics

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TRANSPORTATION / CONSTRUCTION

Lighter, stronger, corrosion-resistant alloys, and eco-friendly cement

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ENERGY

Renewable energy production, batteries and storage

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GREEN PRODUCTS

Biodegradable plastics and fibres

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ELECTRONICS

Cheaper, higher capacity, eco-friendly LEDs and wearable devices

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NEW

Entirely novel classes of materials to launch new industries

Interested in a materially different future?

JOIN THE CONSORTIUM

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Who we are

We bring together academics, government, and industry to expedite technology development and commercialization that addresses genuine market needs.

Academia

AC members are a diverse group, hailing from a wide variety of disciplines, including AI, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechatronics, biology, pharmacology, robotics, techno-economics, and more.

Government

Government support and investment is helping to create a new market for advanced materials. The AC is already working with the National Research Council of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Vector Institute and CIFAR.

Industry

The AC’s industry members have the opportunity to consult and collaborate with leading researchers, access a growing talent pool, and gain professional training and upskill technicians in the design and operation of self-driving labs.

30+

Self-driving labs across the world

10-100x

Faster rate of discovery

90+

Academic members

30+

Partners

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