Self-Driving Laboratories in Korea: A New Era of Autonomous Discovery

Abstract

Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) integrate automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence to accelerate discovery through closed-loop experimentation. Korea offers a particularly strong foundation for SDL adoption, supported by globally competitive industries in semiconductors, batteries, and chemical manufacturing. This Perspective highlights SDL initiatives across Korean academia and industry. In nanomaterials and catalysis, robotic coin-cell assembly, autonomous nanoparticle synthesis, and automated solid oxide cell workflows are advancing reproducibility and throughput. In organic chemistry and bioengineering, AI-driven robotic chemists, ultrafast flow platforms, and autonomous nanoparticle manufacturing exemplify rapid data-driven optimization. National-scale initiatives, including the K-Biofoundry, extend SDL principles to synthetic biology. Together, these efforts position Korea as a global testbed for SDLs, linking discovery to production.