Self-driving labs, for X.

The inaugural NTU SDLs4X Meet brings together the people who build and use self-driving laboratories with the researchers, funders and industry who want to put them to work.

21 to 22 January 2027Nanyang Executive Centre, NTUSingapore

Programme Venue

Organised by

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

In collaboration with

What the X stands for

Session 1 Thursday morning

SDLs in Energy Storage

Autonomous discovery and optimisation of battery materials and cells.

Session 2 Thursday afternoon

SDLs in Decarb Technologies

Accelerated materials development for low carbon energy and industry.

Session 3 Friday morning

SDLs at Scale

Very large scale platforms, automated characterisation, AI models and the view from industry.

Who it is for

The meet is open to anyone involved in self-driving labs, and it is meant as a place for that community to meet. Local researchers who build, use or are starting to work with SDLs are the core audience, from faculty to research staff and students.

Alongside them, the meet brings in the funding agencies, companies and public sector organisations that support and adopt this work, so that the conversation covers both the science and where it goes next.

Confirmed speakers

Kedar Hippalgaonkar

Associate Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU

Speaking in Session 2, SDLs in Decarb Technologies, on Thursday 21 January.

Yang Shao-Horn

Vice President (Research) and Distinguished University Professor, NTU

Speaking in Session 2, SDLs in Decarb Technologies, on Thursday 21 January.

Gerbrand Ceder

Professor, UC Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Speaking in Session 2, SDLs in Decarb Technologies, on Thursday 21 January.

Kristin Persson

Professor, UC Berkeley; Director of the Materials Project

Speaking in Session 2, SDLs in Decarb Technologies, on Thursday 21 January.

Magda Titirici

Professor of Sustainable Energy Materials, Imperial College London

Speaking in Session 1, SDLs in Energy Storage, on Thursday 21 January.

Shoichi Matsuda

Team Leader, NIMS

Speaking in Session 1, SDLs in Energy Storage, on Thursday 21 January.

Tentative programme

All times are provisional and may change. Further speaker names will be added as invitations are confirmed.

Wed 20 Jan Evening before

Welcome reception

Time	Item	Type
18:30 to 20:30	Welcome reception For invited speakers and guests	Social

Thu 21 Jan Day 1

Session 1: SDLs in Energy Storage Main room

Time	Item	Type
09:00 to 09:15	Welcome and opening remarks
09:15 to 10:30	Invited talks Three talks of 25 minutes	Talks
10:30 to 11:00	Coffee break and posters	Break
11:00 to 12:15	Invited talks Three talks of 25 minutes	Talks
12:15 to 12:45	Panel discussion: SDLs in Energy Storage	Panel
12:45 to 13:30	Lunch and posters	Break

Session 2: SDLs in Decarb Technologies Main room

Time	Item	Type
13:30 to 15:30	Invited talks Six talks of 20 minutes	Talks
15:30 to 16:00	Tea break and posters	Break
16:00 to 18:00	Invited talks Six talks of 20 minutes	Talks
18:00 to 18:15	Closing remarks for the day

Specialised and satellite sessions Second room, in parallel

Time	Item	Type
13:30 to 15:30	Specialised session: Imperial collaboration Four talks of 20 minutes and an open discussion	Talks
15:30 to 16:00	Tea break and posters Shared with the main room	Break
16:00 to 18:00	Satellite session: Emerging Investigators Talks from early career researchers	Talks

Evening

Time	Item	Type
19:00 to 21:30	Workshop dinner	Social

Fri 22 Jan Day 2

Session 3: SDLs at Scale Main room

Time	Item	Type
09:00 to 11:00	Invited talks Eight talks of 15 minutes	Talks
11:00 to 11:20	Coffee break and posters	Break
11:20 to 12:20	Invited talks Four talks of 15 minutes	Talks
12:20 to 13:20	Industry panel	Panel
13:20 to 14:30	Lunch and posters	Break

Reflections Main room

Time	Item	Type
14:30 to 15:30	Reflections and closing discussion
15:30	Close

Steering committee

Yang Shao-Horn

Vice President (Research) and Distinguished University Professor, NTU

Shao-Horn is a leading energy scientist who sets the direction of NTU's research agenda.

Leonard Ng Wei Tat

Assistant Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU

Leonard directs the AI4Mat Cluster at ERI@N, is Deputy Director of the AI for Materials Initiative and leads the NGenuity Lab. His research is on self-driving laboratories and AI-driven materials discovery.

Kedar Hippalgaonkar

Associate Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU; Principal Scientist, A*STAR IMRE

Kedar works on the data-driven discovery of functional materials using AI and robotics.

Nripan Mathews

Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU; Cluster Director, ERI@N

Nripan develops low cost, solution processed materials for turning sunlight into electricity and fuels, with a focus on halide perovskites.

Guan Yong Liang

Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, NTU; Associate Vice President (Infrastructure and Programmes)

Yong Liang is a professor of communication engineering and a Cluster Director at ERI@N.

Lim Kah Leong

Associate Vice President of Research (Biomedical and Life Sciences), NTU

Kah Leong works with NTU's research leadership on biomedical and life sciences. His own research is on Parkinson's disease.

Venue

All sessions take place at the Nanyang Executive Centre on the NTU campus.

The atrium of the Nanyang Executive Centre

At a glance

WhereNanyang Executive Centre
CampusNanyang Technological University, Singapore
DatesThursday 21 and Friday 22 January 2027