Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Assessment, By Drug Type [Branded, Generic], By Drug Class [Biologics, Proton Pump Inhibitors, Aminosalicylates, Antacids, Laxatives, H2 Antagonists, Others], By Route of Administration [Oral, Parenteral, Rectal], By Applica

Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Assessment, By Drug Type [Branded, Generic], By Drug Class [Biologics, Proton Pump Inhibitors, Aminosalicylates, Antacids, Laxatives, H2 Antagonists, Others], By Route of Administration [Oral, Parenteral, Rectal], By Application [Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn's Disease, Celiac Disease, Gastroenteritis, Others], By Distribution Channel [Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies], By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2017-2031F

Global laboratory robotics market is projected to witness a CAGR of 6.58% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 378.51 million in 2023 to USD 630.21 million in 2031. The rising requirement for laboratory robotics can be attributed to the rapid expansion of the healthcare sector and the growing demand for technologically advanced solutions to revolutionize the diagnostic sector. Robotics is revolutionizing the healthcare sector by performing various tasks in laboratories including high-throughput screening, safe sample handling, accurate vial filling, and quick data analysis. Laboratory professionals can focus on technically intensive tasks by delegating mundane and repetitive tasks to robots. Furthermore, unlike humans, robots do not carry the risk of taking harmful substances out in the world from laboratories or contaminating cleanrooms. Additionally, the rising requirement for ensuring the adoption of stringent regulatory protocols and the safety of manual workers in laboratories is encouraging businesses to deploy robotic technologies for critical process applications. Every year, the complexities increase in the healthcare sector along with labor shortage; from hospitals to pharmacies, businesses are finding it difficult to find and retain qualified professionals. At the same time, medical and laboratory procedures are increasingly requiring greater precision and speed to meet the rising demand. Laboratory robotics is emerging as the need of the hour to meet the evolving requirements of the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

The rising efforts by the leading robotics and healthcare companies to bolster the availability of advanced technologies are providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market. In January 2023, Insilico Medicine launched Life Star, a sixth-generation artificial intelligence (AI)-powered fully automated robotics laboratory that performs translational research, target discovery, precision medicine development, and compound screening. Insilico’s laboratory incorporates AI in decision-making, robotics, and automation to enable a new generation of intelligent robotic laboratories. Additionally, robotic companies are also engaging in partnerships and collaborations to bolster the development and availability of advanced and novel technologies. In December 2023, ABB Ltd partnered with XtalPi Inc. to produce a range of automated laboratory workstations to bolster the productivity of research and development processes in chemistry, biopharmaceuticals, and chemical engineering. Such efforts are expected to significantly advance research and development activities with the help of automation.

Rising Automation in Laboratories Boosts Market Demand

The growing efforts towards increasing digitalization and automation in laboratories are one of the major drivers of the global laboratory robotics market. Various healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech organizations worldwide are increasingly relying on automation to complete repetitive tasks, including mixing, pipetting, and sorting, among others, to enhance the overall efficiency of the laboratory. In October 2022, San Paolo Hospital in Savona, Italy, upgraded its Corelab-related analytical equipment and installed the DxA 5000 Laboratory Automation System, a high-throughput automation system that rapidly increases test processing. The automation system reduces manual processes, ensuring rapid turnaround time and consistency and correcting pre-analytical treatment errors to allow the delivery of every diagnostic test result with a higher quality.

Additionally, hospitals across Asia are deploying different automation systems to meet increasing requirements. In October 2023, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD) was awarded the Allied Health Initiative of the Year - Malaysia at the Healthcare Asia Award for becoming the first private hospital in Malaysia to adopt the Abbott GLP Total Automation Laboratory System. Abbott Laboratories and THKD collaborated to introduce the Alinity ci series analyzers and the GLP Total Automation system in THKD’s laboratory to keep up with the rapid developments in the laboratory automation sector.

Increasing Introduction of Robotics in Healthcare Education Supports Market Expansion

Educational institutes across the globe are working on introducing robotics and AI in healthcare education to support the sector’s transformation and ensure that future healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge to handle advanced technologies. Thus, various educational institutions are working on introducing advanced robotics systems in laboratories. For instance, in April 2023, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) collaborated with China-based Hai Robotics Co., Ltd. to launch a cutting-edge smart delivery system in the University’s new artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab (AIR lab). The smart delivery system aims to encourage innovation and co-creation among researchers and students and strengthen the university’s robotics education. Fifteen PolyU project teams that focus on utilizing robotic technologies and AI in areas including energy, sports technology, rehabilitation, healthcare, sustainability, computing, and engineering are currently housed in the AIR lab.

Drug Discovery Holds Significant Market Share

The segment’s expansion can be attributed to the growing prevalence of different diseases, the increasing burden on the pharmaceutical sector, the rising requirement for novel therapeutic solutions, and the growth of the geriatric population. In October 2024, Exscientia plc showcased how their robotics laboratory in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, is increasing efficiency and productivity in developing new molecules at the European Laboratory Research and Innovation Group (ELRIG) 2024. The company detailed how AI and robotics can be utilized to automate end-to-end drug discovery in its entirety. Robotics plays a crucial role in performing delicate tasks that require levels of accuracy that are difficult to achieve manually.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are some of the leading adopters of laboratory robotics as they require high throughput, precision, and accuracy. Due to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, the drug discovery process is becoming increasingly labor-intensive and complex, propelling the requirement for technologically advanced solutions such as laboratory robotics. They aid in streamlining laboratory operations by automating time-consuming tasks, including compound handling, screening, and sample preparation, allowing scientists to test a large number of compounds in a short period. This, in turn, aids in reducing resource requirements as well as costs while speeding up the drug development process.

North America Holds Major Market Share

The growth of the North America laboratory robotics market can be attributed to the strong presence of leading market players and increasing investments in the healthcare and research sector to support the development of new technologies and therapies. Additionally, the easy acceptance of new technologies in the region bolsters the market’s demand.

Furthermore, various US-based companies are collecting funding to modernize their laboratories with robotics, propelling the growth of the region's market. In July 2024, Clarapath Inc., a New York-based company, announced that they had raised USD 36 million to transform and modernize how pathology laboratories process tissues. Pathology laboratories face multiple challenges, including rising caseloads, labor shortages, and manual and antiquated processes for preparing tissue samples. Automated systems and robotics aid them in standardizing practices and alleviating workforce issues.

Additionally, the rapid expansion of the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies in the region is also boosting the adoption of laboratory robotics by various companies, clinical diagnostic laboratories, and hospitals due to the growing volumes of test samples. The high investments in the research sector to enhance drug discovery to combat the growing threat of different chronic diseases are also bolstering the requirement for laboratory robotics.

Future Market Scenario (2024-2031F)

As per the global laboratory robotics market analysis, the market is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years due to increasing adoption in developing regions, integration of machine learning and AI, technological advancements, and the increasing burden on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. The market's key players are expected to dedicate their resources to developing collaborative robotic solutions that can work along with laboratory professionals to easily complete complex laboratory tasks. They are also expected to significantly invest in research and development activities to support the development of user-friendly and cost-efficient laboratory robotics systems that hold the ability to cater to the diverse and specific requirements of the industry. The growing popularity of automation and digitalization is expected to reshape the healthcare and research industries and bolster the demand for robotic technologies, providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market.

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

The key players in the market are engaging in mergers and acquisitions to broaden their product and service offerings and strengthen their position in the market. In December 2023, Hudson Robotics, Inc., Argosy Capital, and Art Robbins Instruments, LLC acquired Tomtec Inc., a leading provider of automated liquid handling instruments used in mass spectrometry. With this transaction, Hudson Robotics, Inc. aims to expand its liquid handling capabilities by providing an entry point in the sample preparation and a 96-head automated liquid handler for bioanalytic segments in the life science research and development sector.

Additionally, various robotic companies are also joining forces to accelerate the adoption of flexible lab automation. In February 2024, ABB Ltd and METTLER TOLEDO, one of the leading suppliers of precision instruments, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for solutions that integrate ABB robots with LabX and METTLER TOLEDO’s instrument management software. Such partnerships aim to relieve lab technicians and scientists from repetitive and mundane tasks, eliminate the occurrence of common errors, enhance productivity, and provide professionals with more time to conduct high-value activities.