SOFTWARE FOR CHEMISTRY & MATERIALS BV

Their core work

SCM is a Dutch SME that develops computational chemistry and materials science software, most notably the Amsterdam Modeling Suite (AMS) which includes tools like ReaxFF for reactive molecular dynamics and COSMO-RS for thermodynamic property prediction. They specialize in building simulation platforms that allow researchers and industrial users to model chemical reactions, material properties, and molecular behavior at multiple scales. Their work bridges fundamental quantum chemistry with applied industrial problems — from catalyst design to polymer solvation to optoelectronic materials — making complex computational methods accessible through commercial software products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SCM's early H2020 work (2015-2018) focused on training networks and fundamental method development — participating in DEFNET and TCCM for defect materials and theoretical chemistry, while launching small SME-instrument projects (NET, PolySolv) to extend their existing software capabilities to new timescales and polymer applications. From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward automated model generation, machine learning integration, and building interoperable software platforms (AutoCheMo, MaLeR, ReaxPro), culminating in their largest project ReaxPro which created a marketplace and data repository for multiscale modelling. The trajectory shows a clear move from method users to platform builders — from contributing computational expertise to owning the infrastructure layer.

SCM is moving toward AI-augmented, automated simulation platforms with marketplace and interoperability features — positioning themselves as infrastructure providers for the computational materials science community.

How they like to work

SCM coordinates the majority of their projects (5 of 9), indicating strong project leadership capability and willingness to take on administrative and scientific responsibility. With 81 unique consortium partners across 18 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub rather than a repeat-partner organization. Their project sizes range from small SME-instrument grants (2 partners) to large research and innovation actions, showing flexibility in consortium scale — though they appear most comfortable leading focused, technically specific projects rather than massive coordination actions.

SCM has built a broad European network of 81 unique partners across 18 countries, reflecting their position as a software provider that connects with diverse academic and industrial users across the continent. Their Amsterdam base and MSCA training network participation give them particularly strong ties to European university chemistry and materials science departments.

What sets them apart

SCM occupies a rare niche as a specialized SME that both develops and commercializes computational chemistry software — they are not just a research group writing papers, but a company shipping products (AMS, ReaxFF, COSMO-RS) used by thousands of researchers and industrial chemists worldwide. This dual identity as software vendor and active research participant means they can translate fundamental method advances directly into usable tools. For consortium builders, SCM offers something few partners can: the guarantee that research outputs will be maintained, documented, and commercially distributed long after the project ends.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReaxPro
  Their largest project (EUR 719K) and most ambitious — built an integrated software platform with data repository and marketplace for multiscale reactive modelling, targeting industrial catalyst design.
• AutoCheMo
  Pioneered automated chemical model generation using Bayesian inference for force-field parameterization — a key step toward making reactive simulations accessible without deep expert knowledge.
• MaLeR
  Early mover in combining machine learning (neural network potentials) with reactive force fields, bridging the accuracy-speed gap in molecular dynamics simulations.