The workshop focused on a central question: Where does automation in chemistry stand today, and where is it heading?

Throughout the discussions, participants shared experiences from research and industrial practice, exchanged perspectives on emerging technologies, and explored how automation can help accelerate scientific discovery while improving reproducibility and efficiency in laboratory environments.

What stood out was the openness of the exchange. Participants from different disciplines and organizations approached the topic from varying perspectives, yet shared a common goal: developing a realistic understanding of what laboratory automation can already achieve and where important challenges still remain.

One theme emerged consistently throughout the workshop: standardization and interoperability are becoming essential prerequisites for future progress.

Reproducible research across laboratories, instruments, software platforms, and institutions depends on the ability of systems to communicate seamlessly and operate within common frameworks. As automation technologies continue to mature, open and connected infrastructures are increasingly viewed as the foundation for the next generation of automated and autonomous research environments.

The discussions also highlighted the value of collaboration across sectors. Advancing automation requires not only technological innovation, but also continuous dialogue between researchers, instrument manufacturers, software developers, and industrial users. Workshops such as this provide an important platform for bringing these perspectives together, identifying common challenges, and developing shared solutions.

CTC would like to thank all participants for their valuable contributions, insightful discussions, and willingness to openly share their experiences. We look forward to continuing the conversation and following how today’s ideas and developments will shape the laboratories of the future.

Interested in learning more?

Explore CTC’s research activities in the field of automation and standardization of chemical research on our website.