This perspective seeks to provide an overarching vision of the current state of chemical synthesis methodology using machinery as enabling tools. It highlights current capabilities and limitations in this highly digitally-connected world and suggests areas where new opportunities may arise in the future by going well beyond our present levels of innovation and automation. There is a new need for improved downstream processing tools, advanced reactor design, computational predictive algorithms and integration of robotic systems to maximise the human resource to facilitate a new era in the assembly of our functional materials.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from Pfizer (Y.C.), DSTL (O. M.) and the H2020-FET OPEN-2016-2017 Programme of the European commission (D.E.F., S.V.L.;grant agreement number:737266-ONE FLOW
