Chemify, a University of Glasgow spin-out with more than 80 staff (with more to follow as the company scales up), is pioneering the automated technology of chemputation — universal chemical synthesis controlled by computers. Chemify plans to expand its team to over 100 as it develops a prototype scalable pilot plant. This plant aims to become a chemical ‘giga factory,’ enabling the on-demand discovery and manufacture of trillions of chemicals for pharmaceuticals, high-value chemical manufacturing, new materials, farming, and green energy solutions.

The project will produce a pilot-scale factory featuring cutting-edge automation for small-scale chemical manufacturing, managed by Chemify’s advanced software for digital chemical processes. The digitisation of these processes is ongoing and will advance alongside the development of the necessary automation hardware. Addressing the challenges of integrating these revolutionary technologies in an operational environment will demonstrate the feasibility of establishing such factories in Glasgow, across the UK, and internationally.