Dunia Innovations is set to reshape materials discovery with its newly announced Berlin GigaLab. This ambitious project, backed by a €280 million investment, will span 6,000 square metres and aims to industrialise the development of advanced materials by harnessing AI and automation.
As demand for innovative materials grows, Dunia Innovations plans to tackle the verification challenges that have arisen alongside the rapid discovery of new materials. Founded in 2022, the company has already launched its first-generation platform and is preparing to introduce its second-generation IRIS platform, which went live in May 2025. The GigaLab will function as an advanced hub for research and development, integrating autonomous experimentation, AI-guided design, and digital simulation into a cohesive closed-loop system.
Key partnerships with major players in the technology sector—including Siemens, ABB Robotics, NVIDIA, AWS, and ILS—will provide the foundational technology for the GigaLab. This collaboration highlights the project's significance and potential impact across various sectors such as energy storage, catalysis, and semiconductor manufacturing. The facility is projected to create over 200 direct jobs and is expected to commence operations by 2028.
The current state of materials research faces a critical bottleneck. While AI models can propose millions of novel material candidates, the transition from discovery to verification remains problematic. The existing scientific record is often too fragmented to effectively train the sophisticated models that are transforming other fields. Traditional simulation methods have also proven inadequate in predicting material behaviours under real-world conditions, such as varying temperatures and pressures.
To bridge this gap, Dunia Innovations is developing infrastructure specifically designed to produce structured, multimodal data at a scale that far exceeds what academic laboratories can achieve. Dr. Alex Hammer, CEO and Co-Founder of Dunia Innovations, emphasises the necessity of this development: "Closing this gap requires a new kind of infrastructure that can generate the relevant data needed to validate the multitude of material candidates being proposed."
As the GigaLab prepares to open its doors, the implications for industries reliant on advanced materials are significant. The integration of AI into the materials discovery process promises not only to accelerate innovation but also to facilitate the transition to cleaner manufacturing practices and the development of critical raw materials. The GigaLab represents a crucial step towards a future where materials discovery is swift, efficient, and aligned with the demands of a sustainable economy.
Dunia Innovations is positioning itself as a key player in materials science. As the GigaLab takes shape, various sectors will be watching closely to see how this new facility influences the pace of materials innovation and its broader implications for technology and industry.
