The laboratory of the future: smart, sustainable and people-oriented

What will the laboratory of the future look like? Visitors to LabNL 2025 saw a future where robotics, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and sustainability converge. But it's not just about technology: the lab of tomorrow demands new skills, human-centered thinking, and a new definition of scientific research.

Robotics and AI are the driving force behind the laboratory of the future. At LabNL, chemist Mathijs Mabesoone explained how he and his colleagues at the Big Chemistry Consortium are working on a fundamentally different approach to materials research: the self-learning robot laboratory. Autonomous robots perform hundreds of experiments per week, collect data, and independently determine which analyses are needed.

AI predicts the properties of mixtures and materials, making experiments more efficient, targeted, and large-scale. The result is a laboratory that runs 24/7, while the human role shifts from manual labor to supervision, interpretation, and creative decision-making. By intelligently combining AI and automation, the consortium aims to radically accelerate innovation.

Human in the loop

Reliable AI is crucial in this regard. Researchers from VSL and the Fryslân Water Board demonstrated that AI is only valuable if it is predictable, explainable, and traceable. Human interpretation remains necessary, especially with complex datasets such as water quality or battery monitoring. This principle—known as human in the loop – ensures that technology and people complement each other. The laboratory of the future combines the speed and precision of machines with the insight, ethics, and judgment of humans.

Animal-free research

The research approach is also changing: more human-focused and animal-friendly practices are becoming increasingly important. Daniela Salvatori of the Center for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation and Walter Westerink of Charles River Laboratories emphasized at LabNL that technology alone is not enough. Organ-on-a-chip, 3D skin models, and AI-driven simulations enable reliable, animal-free testing, but require collaboration, standardization, and trust.

For laboratories, this means that innovation is not just about speed and efficiency, but also about ethics and social responsibility. Animal-free methods often yield more reliable results than animal testing because they better reflect human genetic and biological diversity. Collaboration and training are key to the success of this new way of working; researchers must become familiar with the new technologies and methods.

Sustainability in practice

Sustainability is a key element in the laboratory of the future. Visitors to LabNL consistently cite it as an essential component of the future-proof lab. During the trade fair, the Sustainability Inspiration Route and the Sustainable Waste Flows workshop demonstrated how ambitious sustainability goals are translated into daily practice.

The workshop offered surprising insights: did you know, for example, that pipette tips belong in residual waste and not plastic? Visitors not only learned how to sort waste efficiently but also gained insight into laws and regulations, reuse, and logistics. This made it clear that a smart laboratory is not only efficient but also environmentally conscious and future-proof.

People-oriented

During LabNL, a clear picture emerged: the laboratory of the future is technologically advanced, but above all, human-focused. Robots and AI accelerate processes, animal-free methods, and sustainability are a given. At the same time, this demands new skills from analysts: data-driven thinking, interpretation of complex systems, and creative decision-making. The lab of tomorrow combines technology, human insight, and social responsibility in a single, integrated laboratory.