Work

ThinkFactory 2025: Community discussion on harmonizing and accelerating self-driving laboratories

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ThinkFactory 2025 was a virtual workshop jointly hosted by the Acceleration Consortium and CMAC to facilitate discussion on harmonizing and accelerating self-driving laboratories. The 3-h event brought together more than 50 participants for plenary and breakout discussion across four themed tracks: AI and machine learning, data, orchestration, and robotics. Key priorities highlighted by the community included the need for clearer benchmarks to demonstrate value, improved accessibility for experimentalists without programming expertise, and stronger standards for interoperability, safety, and reproducibility. Participants also emphasized the importance of structured human-AI collaboration and shared infrastructure to promote openness and efficiency. This paper outlines the event structure and design and key discussion insights, providing a reproducible framework for hosting collaborative, cross-institutional virtual workshops.

Source: Matter

DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102757

Authors: Thomas Pickles, Sterling G. Baird, Mohammad Salehian, Alastair J. Florence

Institution: University of Strathclyde

Language: English

Topic: Scientific Computing and Data Management

Subfield: Information Systems and Management

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $9,350