Ben Alston | Alchemy Hub Manager
Univeristy of Liverpool
Dr Ben Alston is Hub Manager for the Alchemy: AI for Chemistry Hub at the University of Liverpool, a £12M UK-wide research initiative exploring how artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven methods can accelerate chemical discovery. He leads the Hub’s operations, partnerships and strategic development, working with researchers, industry and funding organisations to support large-scale interdisciplinary research. Ben has over a decade of experience managing major research programmes in the UK higher education sector. His work includes supporting the development of autonomous and self-driving laboratory technologies, helping to build collaborations and infrastructure that enable AI-driven experimentation and closed-loop discovery in chemistry.
Appearances:
Day 1: 6th May @ 16:00
Panel: Self-driving labs in the UK: Where AI, automation, and science converge
- What constitutes a "Self-Driving Lab" in 2026, and how close is the UK to achieving true autonomy in its scientific research?
- How are vendors facilitating to the transition to SDLs?
- How critical is the in-silico component (simulation and modelling) to reducing the cost and time of experimentation?
- What strategic steps in policy, funding, and collaboration are needed to make the UK a leader in autonomous R&D?
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