Hyperpolarization techniques increase nuclear spin polarization by more than four orders of magnitude, enabling metabolic MRI. Even though hyperpolarization has shown clear value in clinical studies, the complexity, cost and slowness of current equipment limits its widespread use. Here, a polarization procedure of [1-^(13) C]pyruvate based on parahydrogen-induced polarization by side-arm hydrogenation (PHIP-SAH) in an automated polarizer is demonstrated. It is benchmarked in a study with …