Telescope installs first pharma SDL in South Korea

Executive Summary

• Telescope Innovations Corp. has successfully installed South Korea’s first self-driving lab (SDL) for pharmaceutical R&D and education, delivered to the Korean Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) in Seoul.
• The installation was completed within three weeks of the purchase finalization, demonstrating the company's rapid deployment capabilities for integrated robotic and analytical systems.
• The project highlights a collaboration involving the Acceleration Consortium (AC) and features on-site participation from two-time Nobel Prize winner Prof. Barry Sharpless, underscoring the technological and scientific significance of the deployment.

Key Details

• Installation Details: The self-driving lab was delivered to the KPBMA for its new AI-focused R&D training center in Seoul.
• Deployment Speed: The installation was completed in just three weeks after the purchase was finalized.
• Key Personnel:
  • Prof. Barry Sharpless (two-time Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Telescope adviser) joined the team on-site for the installation and demonstration.
  • Jason Hein (Telescope CTO and member of the AC scientific leadership) provided commentary on the milestone.
  • Sean Caffrey (Executive Director of the Acceleration Consortium) commented on the global impact and commercialization pathway.
• Technology Description: The SDL is an automated platform using robotics, inline analytics, and AI to run and optimize experiments in a continuous closed-loop workflow, capable of completing hundreds of experiments faster and more consistently than manual work.
• Strategic Context:
  • The project is supported by initial Canadian government investments in SDL research (2018, 2023).
  • Telescope is a spinoff from the University of British Columbia.
  • The deal was catalyzed by Telescope's leadership in the Acceleration Consortium and participation in B.C. Premier David Eby's trade mission to Korea.
• Future Outlook: Telescope plans to expand commercial opportunities in pharmaceutical research and open new pathways in industrial chemistry, energy, and agriculture.

Notable Quotes

• Jason Hein, CTO: "Our work in Seoul is a huge milestone toward making autonomous R&D a practical reality for pharmaceutical innovation... We're thrilled to be giving researchers the ability to explore chemical space faster and with greater precision than ever before."
• Prof. Barry Sharpless: "AI is only as good as the chemistry it's based on and Telescope's chemistry is superlative. It's so exciting for me to participate in making self-driving labs a reality with Jason Hein and his extraordinary team."
• Sean Caffrey, Executive Director, Acceleration Consortium: "This milestone signals exactly the kind of global impact that emerges when industry and academia innovate together... The sale of this self-driving lab is emblematic of the strides that we can make worldwide by bringing intelligent automation directly into the hands of researchers developing the pharmaceuticals we need the most."