AI and smart technology integration are top priorities for future labs: global survey
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies into future-ready laboratories is no longer optional but essential to scientific discovery and transforming workspaces into highly connected and efficient lab environments, according to results from a new survey by Unispace Life Sciences.
These technologies are critical to enabling real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and workflow automation, finds the survey of 400 senior and mid-level life sciences managers in the U.S., U.K., Switzerland, and India representing the biotechnology, medical technology, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries.
The Future Life Sciences Report 2025 reveals that 54% of industry leaders — and 57% of senior executives — rank AI and smart technology integration as among their top priorities for future lab environments.
“Respondents highlighted the growing role of technologies such as IoT AI, and digital simulation tools in transforming laboratory operations,” according to the report from Unispace, which designs and delivers office space for the life sciences sector.
The report also noted that “innovations like digital twins and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) are enabling new possibilities for simulation, remote collaboration, and training — especially valuable for laboratories operating in decentralized or resource-constrained contexts.”
AI and quantum computing are reshaping the R&D landscape by helping to “eliminate redundant experimentation by allowing researchers to access and build upon prior research data, while also generating new variations of formulations or hypotheses,” the report said. In the area of drug discovery, AI accelerates early-stage research “enabling scientists to focus on novel breakthroughs rather than replicating known outcomes.”
Highly flexible, modular spaces
At the same time, lab environments must be designed not only for scientific precision but also for agility and adaptability, according to the report, which makes the case for highly flexible and modular spaces that scale with evolving needs.
“Mobile benching and modular infrastructure allow labs to accommodate shifting equipment requirements and emerging technologies,” the report states. “Designing for a variety of bench specifications enables flexibility across a broader range of research applications, while a shift in the wet lab-to-dry lab ratio — and between lab and office space — should be anticipated as research needs change.”
In the survey, 53% of life sciences leaders indicated that flexible, modular design is one of the top three features needed in a future-ready lab, and 45% of them cited planning for adaptable, future-ready spaces was a core part of their current design strategy.
Respondents from the pharmaceutical industry said their labs support adaptability extremely well (71%), while only half of leaders (48%) in the biotechnology industry echoed this sentiment and most of the remaining leaders (41%) indicated their lab environments are adaptable.
“Over two-thirds of leaders responsible for labs in countries such as the U.S. and India are seen to support adaptability for growth extremely well,” states the report. “However, fewer than half of European leaders share this sentiment. Although over 40% of European life science leaders still believe their labs support adaptability quite well, this implies that these leaders still perceive that there is room for improvement in their propensity to adapt.”
U.S. respondents to the survey indicated a strong sense of confidence in the capability and resilience of their lab workspaces, particularly when it comes to adaptability for growth (67%) and integration of new technologies (63%). However, they face challenges in terms of future capital planning with more than half (52%) of executives in the U.S. expressing concern that there will be a return on investment when deciding to fund new facilities.
At the heart of future-ready lab design is collaboration, particularly for cross-functional teams and geographically dispersed operations, which require effective management of data and connectivity, according to the report.
More than half (52%) of life science executives indicated the need for lab spaces that are optimized for cross-functional collaboration, while over one-third (36%) highlighted the importance of lab functionality across multiple regions and hubs.
“Participants emphasized the need for robust cloud-based systems, secure data storage, and knowledge-sharing platforms to enable seamless collaboration and efficient data handling,” the report states. “These capabilities are increasingly recognized as critical infrastructure, supporting not only operational efficiency but also compliance with global data protection standards.”
Although technology integration remains a top priority for creating future-ready lab environments, the survey found varying degrees of confidence in readiness based on organizational roles and geographies.
“While 56% of science leaders in the U.K., U.S., and India say their labs support new tech exceptionally well, only 36% of board-level executives agree,” states the report. “In contrast, nearly 60% of IT and Computer Services leaders feel strongly that their labs are well equipped, highlighting a disconnect between strategic leadership and operational teams.”
