Building the Lab of the Future: Workflow Integration and AI-Driven Productivity
End-to-end laboratory integration has accelerated in recent years, driven by the need for higher productivity.
As laboratories face growing pressure to increase throughput, reduce operating costs, and adapt to widening skills shortages, the shift from isolated instruments to connected, intelligent ecosystems has become a defining trend. At analytica 2026, this transformation was on full display.
Few individuals are closer to this technological inflection point than Dr. Dominic Gostick, chief technology officer at PerkinElmer. With more than two decades of experience in analytical technologies and leadership roles spanning R&D and global innovation, Gostick has a front row view of how laboratories are evolving—and what they will need next.
In this article, Gostick discusses the industry’s transition toward integrated systems, how AI-enabled digital tools will reshape skills and productivity, and why sustainability now shapes every major design decision. He also shares how PerkinElmer’s latest product launches announced at analytica 2026—the Avio® 3000 ICP-OES, Clarus® Nova GC, and Spotlight™ Aurora FTIR Microscope—fit into this broader strategic vision.
Workflow integration: Moving beyond siloed instrumentation
The shift toward end-to-end laboratory integration has accelerated in recent years, driven by the need for higher productivity and more consistent data handling. According to Gostick, many laboratories have traditionally operated as “very instrument-centric environments,” where workflows were fragmented and digital systems were not fully aligned.
Today, however, labs are increasingly seeking holistic, connected ecosystems that unite instruments, software, and data streams (Figure 1).
PerkinElmer’s approach involves pairing analytical necessities with digital infrastructure—from interoperable software frameworks to unified data management. This aligns with the company’s analytica 2026 showcase, where integrated systems and smart automation were central themes across the Avio 3000 ICPOES, Clarus Nova GC, and Spotlight Aurora FTIR platforms.
Figure 1: Laboratories continue to transition from isolated, instrument‑centric workflows to connected, digitally integrated ecosystems. Credit: AI-generated image created using Microsoft Copilot (2026).
Key implications of integrated workflows:
- Movement from isolated analytical tasks to end-to-end, digitally connected ecosystems
- Increased importance of centralized data storage and interoperability between instruments
- Growing demand for software-driven efficiency and reduced manual intervention
Building a connected, data-driven laboratory
At analytica 2026, PerkinElmer also previewed LabPilot™, its new connected digital environment designed to bring automation and AI-driven insights into daily laboratory operations.
Gostick described LabPilot as a platform focused on operationalizing the day-to-day realities of lab work—from tracking instrument history to predicting maintenance needs: “LabPilot allows you to see all of the history of an instrument, such as when it was installed, and last underwent maintenance, and we can apply AI to those parameters enabling users to perform instrument health checks.”
This combination of telemetry, predictive analytics, and AI-powered guidance positions LabPilot as a tool that not only connects instruments but also supports method development, troubleshooting, and real-time decision making.
How digital platforms can reshape lab operations:
- Centralized instrument telemetry enables proactive maintenance and reduces downtime
- AI-enabled troubleshooting offers near real-time support for method optimization
- Digital assistants help streamline reporting and documentation workflows
- Connected software ecosystems support scaling across multi-instrument laboratories
AI’s expanding role in skill development and lab productivity
With many experienced analysts retiring and fewer highly trained replacements entering the sector, laboratories face increasing pressure to maintain quality with fewer expert operators.
“AI can really supplement a laboratory… providing expertise from trained AI models, to support the new hires and less experienced operators in the lab,” Gostick said. “That enables you to utilize the highly skilled people in the laboratory more effectively.”
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Gostick envisions a hybrid model in which AI augments human skill—particularly in high-value areas such as method development, data interrogation, and instrument optimization. While AI will not alter the physics that determine instrument performance, it can profoundly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility across laboratory teams.
Practical benefits of AI-enabled workflows:
- Lower barrier to operating complex analytical instrumentation
- Redistribution of tasks to allow expert staff to focus on high-level work
- Automated method development reduces training time and variability
- Enhanced reproducibility through standardized, AI-assisted workflows
Sustainability by design
Sustainability was another major theme at analytica 2026, with PerkinElmer highlighting how new product designs directly contribute to lower resource consumption.
Gostick emphasized that sustainability is embedded at every stage of the design review process, encompassing energy usage, gas consumption, instrument weight, packaging recyclability, and cost of ownership.
A strong example is the newly launched Avio 3000 ICP-OES, which significantly reduces argon requirements and eliminates the need for a traditional chiller—lowering both energy use and heat output.
“Chillers have high energy consumption… and we were able to eliminate the need for that, which has both a cost benefit and a sustainability improvement,” explained Gostick.
PerkinElmer’s approach extends across its product lineup, including the Clarus Nova GC and Spotlight Aurora FTIR microscope, both of which feature innovations aimed at reducing consumables, simplifying workflows, and improving efficiency.
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Long-term shifts: Automation, simplified sample preparation, and the digital lab
Looking ahead, Gostick identified several long-term transformations that will reshape future laboratories:
- Simplified, automated sample preparation to eliminate tedious manual workflows
- Accelerated proficiency and a reduced learning curve, supported by intelligent automation and AI
- Digital footprints that provide measurable operational insights and efficiency
- Faster instrument setup, verification, and method validation through AI-assisted workflows
These trends align closely with the technological direction demonstrated across PerkinElmer’s analytica 2026 launches, which prioritize workflow simplification, automation, and reproducibility for high-throughput and regulated environments.
Emerging trends shaping the lab of the future:
- Intelligent automation will reduce the need for deep domain expertise at the bench
- AI will accelerate method validation and bring instruments online faster
- Sample preparation automation will drive significant gains in throughput and consistency
- Digital ecosystems will become central to regulatory compliance and data integrity
As laboratories navigate rising complexity, tightening resources, and accelerating innovation cycles, Gostick’s insights highlight how connected systems, intelligent automation, and sustainable design will define the next era of analytical science.
“AI won’t replace the physics of instrumentation, but it will transform how quickly and confidently laboratories can extract value from their workflow and share insight with researchers based in different labs across various geographies,” concluded Gostick.
Key takeaways:
- Connected ecosystems and AI-enabled platforms like LabPilot will redefine how laboratories manage instruments, data, and expertise.
- PerkinElmer’s analytica 2026 launches—including the Avio 3000 ICP-OES, Clarus Nova GC, and Spotlight Aurora FTIR Microscope—demonstrate a unified strategy focused on workflow integration, sustainability, and smarter automation.
- Sustainability and talent shortages are driving innovation, accelerating the shift toward automation, energy-efficient instrumentation, and AI-supported operation.
This content includes text that has been created with the assistance of generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing. Technology Networks' AI policy can be found here.
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