What would have been shrugged off as science fiction only a few decades ago is now daily business in the life sciences sector: highly autonomous robots that automate various manual processes in laboratory settings. The reasons for this development are manifold; the numbers, however, leave no room for doubts: The market volume of laboratory robotics was estimated to value USD 185.80 million in 2020, and expected to size USD 274.49 million by 2026.1
This comes as no surprise, says Moritz Latzel, CSO at ESSERT Robotics and expert in automation.
“The pharmaceutical market is not what it used to be a few years ago: Scientific progress prompts manufacturing technologies to evolve with it. In reverse, several medical achievements would not have seen the light of day without advanced laboratory equipment," he said.
But it is not only due to novel discoveries that labs have been adopting robots in daily routines— major developments in the pharmaceutical sector will make sure that robots play an even more crucial role in tomorrow’s laboratories.
Robots in the life sciences sector: where they are already indispensable
Robots are heavily used along the entire development and production process of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. One might first think of large machines that assemble, test and package vast amounts of products 24/7; though, robots come into play far earlier than in mass production, and are an integral part of laboratories at different scales. Thus, already during R&D, automated systems take on various tasks.
Many of these tasks are repetitive and require a consistent level of precision rather than human expertise. They include activities like measuring, mixing, and dispensing of pharmaceuticals. Pipetting, bin picking, and the assembly, testing and packaging of prototypes (prior to commercial-scale production) are additional fields of application in which robots are being increasingly relied on, as well as sample handling in diagnostics.
In many of these applications, automated robots excel humans in terms of precision and efficiency. But in certain environments, humans are still taking center stage in carrying out monotonous tasks—especially when it comes to flexibly accommodating to changing process parameters, as it is traditionally necessary in high mix/low volume manufacturing. However, due to innovative lab automation solutions, this is changing.
Personalized medicine—no more “one size fits all”
“Traditionally, the pharmaceutical sector was dominated by ‘low mix/high volume’ or, in other words, mass production. Medical goods were produced in vast quantities, with little need for adaptations or customization,” says Latzel.
But there has been a significant increase on the personalized medicine market (with an estimated CAGR of 7.2% between 2023 and 20302), provoked by a shift from “one size fits all” solutions to a growing need for tailor-made therapies – examples of which include antibody therapies against autoimmune diseases or various cancer types.2
This also alters the role of laboratories in the production of therapeutics: Clinical labs have become more involved in therapeutic processes.3 After all, the manufacturing of personalized therapies requires individualized diagnostics. But also the choice between different therapeutic approaches can be facilitated by the analysis of a patient’s genetic make-up—for instance in the case of breast cancer: Specific molecular biology and immunohistochemistry markers are used to individualize the treatment option that a patient is most likely to respond to.3
The increasing progress in the field of precision medicine, however, brings challenges in the laboratory settings. However, bottlenecks are to be avoided in order to ensure that patients receive potentially life-saving treatments in the highest quality and as fast as possible.
Furthermore, costs have to be cut down, making these innovations more accessible. To achieve this, the implementation of automation and robotics in laboratory settings becomes increasingly necessary.
Qualified staff is few and far between
There is a growing discrepancy between the rising demand for personalized medicine and the availability of staff to work on its production: On the one hand, demographic changes and an aging population are expected to lead to an even higher request for these therapies. On the other hand, there is a shortage in skilled workforce, making it necessary to optimize laboratory workflows and make them as efficient as possible.
“By implementing advanced robotic solutions, repetitive tasks can be handed over to automated systems, which often beat humans in terms of consistency and precision anyway. This enables researchers to focus on tasks where they are absolutely essential,” said Latzel.
Moreover, ensuring regulatory compliance can be facilitated by means of automated processes, enhanced traceability, and an improved balance between customization and standardization—freeing up additional resources.
Evolving laboratory robotics: where the journey may lead us
Shortages in capacity meet growing demand—this combination prompts stakeholders in life sciences to overthink established processes and approaches fundamentally. But also, the robotics market is not immune to changing requirements, but prone to continuously optimize respective solutions.
According to Latzel, a major trend in the development of sophisticated robotic solutions for laboratories is modularity—for several reasons: “Many laboratories struggle with limited space. And the more machines are involved in daily operations, the more obvious becomes the need for fewer yet more flexible systems.”
The request for modular solutions is further propelled by the need for both cost-effective and scalable automated systems.4
As a reaction to these requirements, adaptable platform systems have been developed, able to perform various tasks with only small adaptations. Coming with a high degree of autonomy, along with their ability to collaborate with human workforce (when thinking of cobots), these flexible solutions are a promising approach to be prepared for upcoming challenges in laboratory routines.4
References
1. Laboratory Robotics Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029). https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/laboratory-robotics-market.
2. Personalized Medicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Personalized Medicine Therapeutics, Personalized Medical Care, Personalized Nutrition & Wellness), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/personalized-medicine-market.
3. Pinho JR, Sitnik R, Mangueira CL. Personalized medicine and the clinical laboratory. Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2014 Sep;12(3):366-73. doi: 10.1590/s1679-45082014rw2859. PMID: 25295459; PMCID: PMC4872953.