The lab automation in drug discovery market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• In the past few years, there has been a considerable expansion in the size of the lab automation in drug discovery market. It is projected to increase from a value of $6.47 billion in 2024 to $6.81 billion in 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3%.
The driving forces behind this strong growth trend during the historic period are rising complexity in drug discovery, a heightened demand for cost and efficiency improvements, an increase in the requirement for high throughput screening, escalating labor expenses, and an urgency to hasten the timelines for developing drugs.
The lab automation in drug discovery market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• The market for lab automation in drug discovery is set to witness robust expansion in the coming years, with projections indicating a growth to $8.4 billion by 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%.
This projected growth during the forecast period is largely driven by factors such as the broadening drug pipelines of pharmaceutical firms, the increasing prevalence of personalized and precision medicine, a heightened focus on rare diseases and orphan drugs, demand for remote and decentralized clinical trials, and the advent of microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies. Key trends predicted for this forecasted period consist of the widespread adoption of modular and customizable automation solutions, the shift to cloud-based platforms for managing data and fostering collaboration, the rise in automation in emerging markets, the emergence of virtual drug discovery firms availing the benefits of automation and digital tech, along with the development of standardized protocols and interoperable systems.
The surging necessity for precision medicine is anticipated to stimulate the expansion of lab automation in the drug discovery market in the future. Precision medicine or personalized medicine represents a treatment and prevention approach in medicine that considers individual differences in genes, environment, and lifestyle. Lab automation enhances research, boosts experimental repeatability, and heightens the efficiency of precision medicine and drug discovery methods, consequently resulting in the development of more apt medicines and diagnoses for individual patients. For example, in October 2022, the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC), an American entity advocating for the understanding and utilization of personalized medicine, reported that more than 75,000 genetic testing products and 300 personalized medicines will be available for those suffering from various types of cancer, uncommon genetic diseases, and a spectrum of chronic and infectious diseases. Hence, the escalating demand for precision medicine is propelling the advancement of lab automation in the drug discovery market.
The lab automation in drug discovery market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Type: Automated Liquid Handlers, Automated Plate Handlers, Robotic Arms, Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems, Other Types
2) By Component: Instruments, Software, Services
3) By Application: High-Throughput Screening, Compound Management, Sample Preparation, Other Applications
4) By End-User: Biotechnology And Pharmaceutical Industries, Research Institutes, Other End-Users
Subsegments:
1) By Automated Liquid Handlers: Automated Liquid Handlers, Multi-Channel Pipettes, Reagent Dispensing Systems, Automated Titrators, Liquid Handling Workstations
2) By Automated Plate Handlers: Automated Plate Handlers, Microplate Stacker Systems, Plate Transportation Systems, Plate Sorting Systems
3) By Robotic Arms: Robotic Arms, Cartesian Robots, SCARA Robots, Articulated Robots, Delta Robots
4) By Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems (ASRS): Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), Vertical Lift Modules (VLM), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Carousel-Based Systems, High-Density Storage Systems
5) By Other Types: Automated Sample Preparation Systems, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), Microarray Processors, Automated Screening Systems
Principal businesses involved in lab automation for the drug discovery sector are intensifying their efforts in creating innovative solutions like the rapid idea-to-data solutions. This term refers to a simplified procedure or platform that swiftly transforms concepts or ideas into actionable data-driven results or insights. For example, in April 2022, Strateos Inc., a biotech firm based in the US, introduced a rapid idea-to-data solution specifically intended for small molecule discovery on its cloud lab automation-as-a-service platform. This platform is a lab automation utility specifically tailored for small molecule discovery in the area of drug development. The flexible, on-demand Strateos Cloud Lab Automation-as-a-Service platform incorporates interlinked robotic automation with 23 workcells and several instruments. It eases the process of early lead generation up to lead optimization, controlled by a software framework that lets users design desired compounds in the cloud. These designed compounds can then be automatically constructed and tested through various techniques like cell-based, biochemical, and structured-activity relationship (SAR) assessments.
Major companies operating in the lab automation in drug discovery market are:
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
• Abbott Diagnostics
• Roche Holdings Inc.
• Beckman Coulter
• Siemens Healthineers
• Becton Dickinson and Company
• Agilent Technologies Inc.
• PerkinElmer Inc.
• Endress+Hauser
• Shimadzu Corporation
• Waters Corporation
• Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
• QIAGEN
• Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG
• Eppendorf AG
• Tecan Group Ltd.
• Brooks Automation Inc.
• Hamilton Company
• AbCellera Biologics Inc.
• Hudson Robotics Inc.
• OpenTrons Labworks Inc.
• Quanterix Corporation
• The Technology Partnership
• HighRes Biosolutions Inc.
• Biosero Inc.
• Peak Analysis and Automation Ltd.
• Aurora Biomed Inc.
• Arctoris
• Inveox GmbH
• Synthace
• Synchron Lab Automation
North America was the largest region in the lab automation in drug discovery market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the lab automation in drug discovery market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.