The Lab of the Future May Be Here Before We Know It
Spurred by COVID-19, the momentum for digital tech in lab research is growing and brings an increasingly broad and powerful digital toolkit that includes AI, robotics, and IoT sensors
BOSTON, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentum for digital technologies in lab research is growing and was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing teams to rapidly adopt digital tools and rethink their current processes, according to new data from Lux Research, a leading provider of tech-enabled research and innovation advisory services.
While innovation and R&D consist of many activities, Lux's new report, "The Lab of the Future" specifically dives deeper into lab research and takes a fresh look at where the key digital developments are occurring. These digital solutions come at a time when industries that make heavy use of lab research, such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals, continue to face declining productivity on top of new challenges like rising costs, environmental factors, long development cycles, and information overload.
Visions for the lab of the future have evolved over the past few decades, and while individual instruments and processes have benefited from digital tools like automation and analytics, lab research has changed far less than many would have predicted. However, with an increasingly broad and powerful digital toolkit that includes tools like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, the lab of the future — one that is significantly more automated, efficient, and effective — may be closer to reality. After an initial wave of hype and activity in the late 1990s, innovation interest in applying digital tools to the lab plateaued for nearly a decade. However, starting around 2013, there has been a steady growth in innovation interest, showing that the space may be in a phase where it could lead to a significant impact.
While there are many digital use-cases and technologies available to enhance lab research, they fall into three broad categories:
- Modeling and Informatics – Using modeling and informatics tools like machine learning to accelerate the development and discovery process.
- Example: Using machine learning to model and predict polymer properties to shorten the overall polymer design time.
- Knowledge Management – Systematically capturing, analyzing, and distributing knowledge throughout an R&D organization.
- Example: Using natural language processing to sift through the published literature to identify efficient reaction pathways.
- Lab Automation – Automating physical experimentation through robotics as well as data collection and lab management through IoT and connected sensors.
- Example: Using robotics to enable high-throughput testing and screening of materials.
"While each category has its own defining features, there is overlap and synergy between the categories," explains Cole McCollum, Analyst at Lux Research and lead author of the report. "For example, lab automation can be used to collect experimental data, which can then be fed into informatics systems to ultimately generate knowledge."
Across the three segments, there are technologies that companies should be adopting today, such as material informatics for property optimization, electronic lab notebooks, and automated data extraction tools. In the report, Lux also shows much earlier-stage technologies that companies should be actively monitoring or exploring, such as quantum computing, voice AI, and closed-loop automation, which will play an important role 5 to 10 years from now, as well as technologies between these two extremes. Overall, companies should customize this roadmap to plot a course for their lab of the future, as digital will optimize each part of the product development process and eventually become a key competitive advantage. Download the executive summary of the report to learn more.
About Lux Research
Lux Research is a leading provider of tech-enabled research and advisory services, helping clients drive growth through technology innovation. A pioneer in the research industry, Lux uniquely combines technical expertise and business insights with a proprietary intelligence platform, using advanced analytics and data science to surface true leading indicators. With quality data derived from primary research, fact-based analysis, and opinions that challenge traditional thinking, Lux empowers clients to make more informed decisions today to ensure future success.
For more information, visit www.luxresearchinc.com, read our blog, connect on LinkedIn, or follow @LuxResearch.
If you are interested in speaking with an Analyst to learn more about this research, please email [email protected].
SOURCE Lux Research
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