Accelerating Sustainable Chemistry With Robotics
ASCEND Project Launches With €30M for AI Chemistry
BASF and Max Planck Society join forces to accelerate sustainable catalyst development using self-driving labs.

A futuristic laboratory setup showing robotic equipment and digital screens used for chemical research and AI-driven molecular discovery.
Photo: Avantgarde News
The ASCEND project officially launched on April 1, 2026, to transform chemical manufacturing [1]. The German Federal Ministry for Science, Technology and Space provided €30 million in funding for the initiative [1]. A consortium including BASF and the Max Planck Society will lead the research [1]. The team plans to use artificial intelligence and self-driving laboratories to find new catalysts [1]. These tools will help accelerate the development of next-generation materials for sustainable production [1].
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Avantgarde News Desk covers accelerating sustainable chemistry with robotics and editorial analysis for Avantgarde News.


