MaterialsZone Adds AI Guidance To Accelerate Research And Development

AI is having an impact on R&D, reports suggest.

MaterialsZone, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based materials informatics company, announced Monday that a new AI feature has been added to its platform: AI-guided product development.

The new capability gives those in materials research and development real-time experiment recommendations.

“As each suggested experiment is completed and documented within the MaterialsZone platform, the AI model is used to refine recommendations according to the latest data, enhancing precision and efficiency,” according to a news release.

“This feature is a testament to our commitment to empowering R&D teams and delivering an exceptional user experience,” said Ori Yudilevich, CPO of MaterialsZone, in a statement. “By putting the power directly in the hands of our end-users, we enable them to achieve their goals faster, more effectively, and with greater accuracy.”

Ori Yudilevich, CPO of MaterialsZone

Gartner describes materials informatics as “software and services that apply advanced learning techniques to materials-related big data for better predicting results by the characteristics of each material, enabling scientists, engineers and data scientists to optimize materials science workflows.” The materials informatics space is “emerging but growing quickly,” Gartner said.

Materials informatics is used in an abundance of industries including pharmaceutical, biotech, plastics, chemical, aerospace, electronics, and more. Other notable companies in the space in addition to MaterialsZone include NobleAl and Alchemy.

The materials informatics market is predicted to grow from $129 million in 2023 to $276 million by 2028, according to one report.

Much of that growth is attributed to the rise in AI, according to several industry reports. Prior to AI, materials selection and optimization processes were “complicated,” this report noted, but with AI, materials researchers can automate research, pinpoint data patterns, and make speedier decisions.

A 2024 report from global consultancy firm Bain and Company found that the digital transformation of R&D cut down engineering work hours by as much as 20 percent, rework by 50 percent, and reduce a company's costs by up to as much as 30 percent.

[Related: Tech Trends 2024: How IT Leaders Are Navigating A Disruptive, Transformative World]