2nd Advancing Autonomous Scientific Discovery Workshop (A2SD-2026)
Friday, June 26, 2026 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM · 4 hr. (Europe/Berlin)
Hall 10 - 1st Floor
Workshop
Application Workflows for DiscoveryBioinformatics and Life SciencesChemistry and Materials ScienceCommunity EngagementEarth, Climate and Weather Modeling
Information
The Advancing Autonomous Scientific Discovery Workshop (A2SD-2026) brings together researchers and practitioners who are shaping the future of AI driven, interconnected, and automated scientific ecosystems. Scientific discovery is entering a period of rapid transformation as modern instruments generate increasingly complex data at speeds that exceed human ability to analyze and respond. At the same time, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, autonomous laboratory systems, and high performance computing are enabling new modes of scientific exploration that combine automated experimentation, real time decision making, and large scale computational insight.
Building on the strong community response to the inaugural A2SD workshop at ISC 2025, as well as the highly attended SC25 Birds of a Feather session on autonomous science, A2SD-2026 focuses on the emerging need for connected, intelligent, and verifiable autonomous systems that operate across scientific facilities. The 2025 workshop produced a community roadmap for interconnected autonomous laboratories, which highlighted key research priorities in distributed orchestration, federated data management, multi-agent AI systems, and workforce development. These themes continue to evolve rapidly and motivate the expanded topics addressed in the second edition.
A2SD-2026 will explore state of the art advances in five major areas. First, participants will examine architectural and technical approaches for linking autonomous laboratories across institutions, enabling coordinated and scalable experimentation. Second, the workshop will highlight advances in agent based AI systems, including large language model agents capable of orchestrating scientific tasks while remaining grounded in domain knowledge and verifiable reasoning. Third, the workshop will address the development of AI ready scientific infrastructure, including distributed data fabrics that support real time metadata generation, FAIR aligned data management, and cross facility interoperability. Fourth, participants will discuss digital twins and closed loop integration pathways that connect experimental systems to computational platforms, including HPC resources, in support of accelerated discovery. Finally, the workshop will consider new efforts in safety, reliability, standards, and education that support the responsible deployment of autonomous science capabilities.
The workshop will feature invited talks from leaders in autonomous laboratories, AI for science, workflow systems, and scientific instrumentation. A panel discussion will provide multiple perspectives on scaling autonomous discovery across facilities and computing environments. Lightning talks and an interactive group session will support community participation and help identify near term research priorities. Outcomes of the workshop will contribute to an updated A2SD community report, propose recommendations for interface and data standards, and help establish working groups focused on coordinated multi facility pilot projects.A2SD-2026 is designed for researchers and technical professionals from national laboratories, universities, and industry who work at the intersection of automation, AI, and scientific computing. By convening experts across these areas, the workshop will help define the next phase of autonomous scientific discovery and strengthen the international community working toward scalable, intelligent, and interconnected scientific ecosystems.
Organizers:
Building on the strong community response to the inaugural A2SD workshop at ISC 2025, as well as the highly attended SC25 Birds of a Feather session on autonomous science, A2SD-2026 focuses on the emerging need for connected, intelligent, and verifiable autonomous systems that operate across scientific facilities. The 2025 workshop produced a community roadmap for interconnected autonomous laboratories, which highlighted key research priorities in distributed orchestration, federated data management, multi-agent AI systems, and workforce development. These themes continue to evolve rapidly and motivate the expanded topics addressed in the second edition.
A2SD-2026 will explore state of the art advances in five major areas. First, participants will examine architectural and technical approaches for linking autonomous laboratories across institutions, enabling coordinated and scalable experimentation. Second, the workshop will highlight advances in agent based AI systems, including large language model agents capable of orchestrating scientific tasks while remaining grounded in domain knowledge and verifiable reasoning. Third, the workshop will address the development of AI ready scientific infrastructure, including distributed data fabrics that support real time metadata generation, FAIR aligned data management, and cross facility interoperability. Fourth, participants will discuss digital twins and closed loop integration pathways that connect experimental systems to computational platforms, including HPC resources, in support of accelerated discovery. Finally, the workshop will consider new efforts in safety, reliability, standards, and education that support the responsible deployment of autonomous science capabilities.
The workshop will feature invited talks from leaders in autonomous laboratories, AI for science, workflow systems, and scientific instrumentation. A panel discussion will provide multiple perspectives on scaling autonomous discovery across facilities and computing environments. Lightning talks and an interactive group session will support community participation and help identify near term research priorities. Outcomes of the workshop will contribute to an updated A2SD community report, propose recommendations for interface and data standards, and help establish working groups focused on coordinated multi facility pilot projects.A2SD-2026 is designed for researchers and technical professionals from national laboratories, universities, and industry who work at the intersection of automation, AI, and scientific computing. By convening experts across these areas, the workshop will help define the next phase of autonomous scientific discovery and strengthen the international community working toward scalable, intelligent, and interconnected scientific ecosystems.
Organizers:
Format
on-site
Targeted Audience
The workshop targets researchers, scientists, and technical leaders from national laboratories, universities, and industry who work at the intersection of experimental sciences, automation, and artificial intelligence. Of particular interest are professionals focused on laboratory modernization, AI/ML integration in scientific workflows, computing continuum, and autonomous systems development.
Intermediate Level
60%
Advanced Level
40%
