Chemify launches new, world-leading ‘Chemputation’ facility in Maryhill – supporting 110 jobs and accelerating chemical innovation
University of Glasgow spin-out Chemify today launched the world’s first ‘chemputation’ (chemistry and computation) facility – the world’s most advanced laboratory for molecular design and synthesis – in Maryhill, Glasgow.
Supported by the Glasgow City Region Innovation Accelerator, with an additional £1.1m funding from Scottish Enterprise, the £12 million project will create 60 new jobs and safeguard over 50 existing roles.
The new site, known as the Chemifarm, features dedicated production suites, research and development (R&D) labs, engineering and fabrication zones, and secure cloud architecture capable of storing petabytes (one petabyte = 1,000,000 gigabytes) of high-resolution chemical data.
Lee Cronin, CEO and Founder of Chemify, said: “The first Chemifarm is a watershed moment for molecular innovation.
“By combining automation, AI and scalable synthesis, we can now move from code to compound faster than ever, fueling breakthroughs in drug discovery, materials science and beyond.”
The new 21,500sqft facility simplifies the journey from concept to finished compound: from molecular design – using Chemify’s AI-driven molecular design engine, to manufacture – using industrial-scale robot synthesis.
This will accelerate the discovery of new medicines and next-generation materials for partners tackling society’s toughest problems.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said:“Chemify is a stand-out success story within our emerging innovation economy, one that’s both enhancing Glasgow’s reputation as an international centre of science and ingenuity while transforming the world of chemical production.
“The Chemifarm takes the company’s presence in Glasgow to a new level, where it can continue to build on the City Region’s support to create quality new jobs and leverage in further private investment as its success grows.
“The Innovation Accelerator programme which helped nurture Chemify is about real-world impacts. I’m delighted to see that impact on this city, with the next stage of Chemify’s development taking shape in the heart of North Glasgow.”
Chemify already partners with major pharmaceutical, biotech and materials-science companies, offering confidential, on-demand access to bespoke molecules for early-stage research and development.
The Chemifarm will be integral to these research and development efforts to develop innovative chemical compounds with specific properties, designing and making chemical compounds and small physical samples for testing throughout the research process.
A 2022 spin-out from the University of Glasgow, Chemify grew from Professor Cronin’s research in digital chemistry.
“Chemifarm’s launch exemplifies the transformative impact that emerges when academic excellence translates into industrial innovation. This is a hugely significant milestone – as a University, we are committed to working with our partners and funders to enable our cutting edge research to translate into successful spin-outs that scale-up and deliver impact on the regional economy creating jobs and strengthening our regional economic clusters,” noted Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Dean Cook, Director for Place and Global at Innovate UK, said: “A key objective of the Innovation Accelerator programme was to drive the technologies of tomorrow, so it’s fantastic to see Chemify launch the world’s first Chemputation facility. Their pioneering Chemifarm perfectly illustrates how place-based innovation support can deliver global impact by leveraging regional strengths. This facility further cements the UK’s reputation as a leader in advanced chemical and pharmaceutical industries.”
Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Adrian Gillespie said: “I am delighted to see Chemify’s expansion into this new state-of-the-art digital chemistry laboratory in Glasgow. This Chemifarm facility represents a significant milestone for the company, allowing them to drive innovation, create high-quality jobs and position Scotland at the forefront of the global healthtech market. Our backing of Chemify’s ambition underscores our commitment to doubling the number of innovative scaling companies in Scotland by 2030, by fostering a dynamic, sustainable, supportive economic environment for businesses to grow.”
