Conference Schedule

Coffee will be provided for the first hour

Large-scale high-throughput experiments and big data* are becoming fundamental for scientific discoveries. New discoveries are time-consuming and costly; hence, laboratory automation based on robotics and AI aims to shorten and reduce these factors. Most scientists (Baker, 2016) believe that the lack of reproducibility and scalability of experiments is the main reason for this situation, especially in the fields of life sciences, materials, and drug discovery. For years, automating scientific experiments has been considered the holy grail for addressing this fundamental reproducibility problem. Current solutions are limited to rigid and complex devices that can only solve specific experimental tasks that are barely adjustable to experimental protocol changes. With further developments in robotics, new opportunities are opening up to address this in a more task-flexible but human-centric way. However, it is not yet clear how these developments can be applied to accelerate laboratory processes. This workshop will provide an opportunity to create new synergies toward addressing this challenge. The main objective of the workshop is to build synergies between these communities (robotics and natural sciences), where the main aim is to focus on current open challenges in using robotics and AI methods in semi-structured laboratory environments.

As a highly interdisciplinary field, the process chemistry industry requires professionals with a broad and versatile skill set. In this session, we discuss what skills are increasingly important for a successful career in process chemistry, particularly in the context of emerging self driving labs and automation technologies that are transforming process development and the chemist’s role. The workshop is conducted in a form of panel discussion involving representative selection of experts from industry and academia invested in the topic. We will share the results of a relevant survey of pioneering stakeholders from pharmaceutical and fine organic chemical process R&D, and the audience will be able to participate in the open discussion via a live poll and a live Q&A session. Additionally, we aim to offer insights on how the industry and academia can join forces to advance process chemistry training for young scientists. Where you are a student, early-career scientist, or established academic/industrial leader, we will aim to provide meaningful insights into process chemistry-related training with a focus on laboratory automation, as well as opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals.