Materials Acceleration Platform: Accelerating Advanced Energy Materials Discovery by Integrating High-Throughput Methods and Artificial Intelligence.

aterials are an essential element of advanced energy technologies.Accelerating the discovery of new materials, and the associated research required for maturing these technologies into deployment, will require a multidisciplinary and international effort that brings together a wide variety of individuals working effectively across their specialties, as well as across sector and political boundaries.It will also require a radical departure from traditional forms of discovery.The materials discovery process involves several stages summarized as conception, synthesis, and testing or characterization.Characterization encompasses the measurement of key properties of the material, followed by its incorporation into active devices to evaluate interactions with other device components and assess overall performance metrics.These steps have usually been carried out sequentially, and therefore, only a few materials can be tested at a time.Furthermore, sophisticated tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), large computational resources, and automated robotic systems have not been widely employed yet.Recognizing the challenges and opportunities associated with materials discovery, Mission Innovation established the Clean Energy Materials Innovation Challenge and hosted its first international expert deep-dive workshop in Mexico City on Sept 11-14, 2017. 1 Leading scientists from throughout the world gathered to define the challenges, opportunities, and fundamental research needs related to materials discovery.The main recommendation coming from the workshop participants is the need to develop the materials acceleration platform(s) (MAPs), which integrate automated robotic machinery with rapid characterization and AI to accelerate the pace of discovery.The deployment of the proposed 1 Mission Innovation is a global initiative comprising 22 countries and the European Union that share the goal of accelerating clean energy innovation.M aterials discovery and development crosscut the entire energy technology portfolio, from energy generation and storage to delivery and end use.Materials are the foundation of every clean energy innovation: advanced batteries, solar cells, low-energy semiconductors, thermal storage, coatings, and catalysts for the conversion, capture, and use of CO 2 .In short, new materials constitute one of the cornerstones for the global transition to a low-carbon future.The process of discovering and developing new materials currently entails considerable time, effort, and expense.Each newly discovered