Lab Innovations 2023 lays the path for smart and sustainable labs

Last year, Lab Innovations hosted 192 exhibitors, including companies such as SciMed, Esslab, LS Scientific, Analytix, DWK Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, SLS, Veolia Water Technologies and Antylia Scientific (formerly Cole-Parmer). With that number set to grow in 2023 following last year’s record rebooking rate, Lab Innovations has expanded its floorplan for this year’s show, allowing visitors to meet with more companies than ever before. All sectors across the laboratory spectrum will be represented, from biotech and pharmaceuticals to cleanroom and food and drink.

In 2022, 4,213 attendees visited Lab Innovations, which was a 35 per cent increase on 2021’s attendance and the highest ever attendance for a Lab Innovations show – but this year is expected to be even bigger. Upwards of 200 suppliers will be on hand for discussions and there will be more than 40 hours of content between the live theatre formats. Attendees will be able to earn continuing professional development (CPD) points from the talks and presentations at the show.

‘The engagement, the size, the scale and the sense of celebration at Lab Innovations 2022 has been off the charts,’ enthused Jane Banks, external relationships manager at the Science Council, at last year’s show. ‘Sometimes you forget the unique conversations you can have face-to-face, and the show has been evidence of that.’

I’ve very much enjoyed Lab Innovations this year […] We will definitely be here next year.

Jacqueline Balian, sector head for laboratory technology, GAMBICA

Where the lab meets the theatre

Lab Innovations is home to four free-to-attend theatre programmes ꟷ the Royal Society of Chemistry theatre; the insights and innovation theatre; the cleanroom hub; and live lab theatre. After a very successful show in 2022, the live lab theatre, which is the home of live technical demonstrations during the show, has doubled in size for this year’s event. So there are more opportunities than ever for attendees to see exhibitors showcase their technologies.

Green Light Laboratories (GLL) will once again run their sustainable lab programme. Andy Evans, director of GLL, has been advising laboratory end-users on how to use their equipment in the most environmentally friendly way possible for over a decade.

‘Lab Innovations is a great opportunity for end users to see how our equipment works in a real laboratory environment and how the data we’ve collected can be replicated in their own labs to help them to be more sustainable,’ reported Evans in 2021.

The Royal Society of Chemistry and insights and innovations theatres, the latter sponsored by PerkinElmer, are some of the most engaging displays of innovation and progress available for the professional audience. Expert speakers will share their advice on sustainable practices and even lessons from the Amazon jungle for a sustainable lab.

After a tremendous reception in 2022, the sustainability trail will also return to the NEC to wind its way across the show floor. The most sustainable solutions offered by the top exhibitors in each sector will be mapped out, with visitors able to take a guided tour of the eco-friendly products and services on show.

[Lab Innovations] is a great opportunity to hear from customers in person, so we can fully understand their requirements and operational situations and work with them to deliver solutions that meet their needs

Paul Vanden Branden, director, SciMed

Ask the experts

The number one reason that visitors come to Lab Innovations from all across the UK and Ireland is to find answers to their questions about new developments and improving their current way of working. In 2023, one-to-one sessions with experts from world-leading manufacturers will be available for the first time as part of the live lab theatre.

The dedicated ask-the-expert space will give visitors access to the brains behind the instrumentation and equipment used day-to-day in the lab, with time to address your specific questions and needs. Practical and sustainable tips about how best to use their equipment, how to maximise its operational lifetime and specialised insights for different applications are just a registration away.

‘Lab Innovations is a really important show for us,’ said Paul Vanden Branden, director at SciMed, in 2022. ‘It is a great opportunity to hear from customers in person, so we can fully understand their requirements and operational situations and work with them to deliver solutions that meet their needs.’

Dedicated automation zone

The smart lab area, sponsored by Automata, is a new feature for Lab Innovations in 2023. This space in the NEC will be dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), digitisation, robotics, automation and the smart technologies that are paving the way to the laboratories of the future.

The smart lab area will be showcasing technologies such as automatic sample preparation or product purification to streamline your workflow, robotic assistants to optimise menial tasks around the lab and laboratory management software to help translate your research into results. Experts will be on hand throughout to answer your questions.

AI is hotly tipped to change the way lab work is conducted over the coming years and decades. From AI-based imaging for superior visualisation of chemical and biological processes to accelerated drug development from candidate molecule library searches to personalisation of medical treatment, the research field is advancing at a rapid pace. Lab Innovations is your one-stop destination to learn about all these developments and find out how they can boost your research and your business.

The smart lab area will also host a new start-up innovation zone. Here, visitors will find the most exciting tech start-ups from the UK and beyond, those companies pushing the boundaries of progress even further with radical ideas and products.

‘I’ve very much enjoyed Lab Innovations this year,’ commented Jacqueline Balian, sector head for laboratory technology at GAMBICA, speaking at last year’s show. ‘Lots of our members come to this event and they see it as one of the key events in the calendar year. We will definitely be here next year.’

Industry-wide recognition

The lab awards, in partnership with Laboratory News, are back and bigger than ever at this year’s show, where winners will be crowned in categories such as sustainability, collaboration and innovation. Although the deadline for submissions has passed, tickets for the event are still available and some award sponsorship places are open.

In previous years, the lab awards have been hosted on the exhibition floor at Lab Innovations, but, this year, the thirteen winners will claim their prizes at the Vox, Birmingham, as part of a special black-tie gala dinner with a special host, who will be announced soon. In addition to old favourites, new awards have been added to recognise rising stars, lab technicians and smart labs. Those shortlisted for an award can purchase a ticket at a discounted rate.

‘The lab awards are an opportunity for the whole lab industry to come together and celebrate the very best of our achievements over the past year,’ said Simon Farnfield, event director at Lab Innovations. ‘The brightest minds and the most dedicated professionals from the lab world will gather to recognise the hard work and innovation of their peers — and have a great night while they do it.’

‘We’re really privileged and grateful for our efforts to be recognised finally after months of hard work,’ explained Magdalena Karlikowska, CEO of Cytecom, as she accepted the best technology innovation award in 2022.