Forum on the Future of Synthesis

The purpose of this forum is to facilitate a discussion among members of the materials research community of ways in which automation and machine learning can be used in conjunction with advances in bulk and thin-film single-crystal growth methods to accelerate the discovery of inorganic materials.

The tools of data science have been transformed over the past decade by the rise of practical machine learning techniques, colloquialized as “AI/ML” methods, and have the potential to be transformative across virtually all areas of academic and industrial research. Within inorganic materials discovery, however, the impact to date of data science has been muted. The reason is simple: the rate of model inferences and theoretical predictions of superior materials (more sustainable, higher performance, enhanced functionality) has greatly exceeded the actual creation, let alone deployment, of predicted structures by orders or magnitude for well over a decade.

We invite YOU to join a focused group of leaders carefully selected from academia, industry and government agencies to discuss possible vision(s) for the future of synthesis to address this disparity.

Agenda of Activities