ABB’s robotics ecosystem: advancing lab efficiency in drug discovery

The life sciences industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements and an increasing demand for efficiency and precision in drug discovery. A driving force behind this evolution is the integration of robotics into laboratory workflows, offering the potential to accelerate research, cut costs, and bring life-saving treatments to market faster. At the forefront of this shift is ABB, with Jose-Manuel Collados, Manager for Product Line Service Robotics, providing valuable insights into the company’s crucial role. Through strategic collaborations with industry leaders, ABB is reshaping the future of lab automation.

We spoke with Collados to explore how ABB’s innovative robotics solutions are tackling the complex challenges facing modern laboratories. He shared how automation is streamlining workflows, enhancing precision, lowering operational costs and empowering scientists to focus on high-value research to facilitate breakthroughs in drug discovery.

Addressing the challenges of modern drug discovery

“We collaborate across life sciences, healthcare, food service and retail point-of-sale markets, including pharma, biotech labs and hospitals, to deliver automation solutions that enhance data integrity, efficiency and process quality,” says Collados, illustrating ABB’s broad impact. He emphasises that ABB does more than just supply robots, they create a holistic ecosystem of expertise and integrated solutions to tackle the unique challenges of modern laboratories.

One of the most pressing challenges in drug discovery is the need for speed. Rising costs, the complexity of research and persistent labour shortages are all contributing factors. Moreover, the ability to generate and analyse vast amounts of data efficiently is critical to identifying promising drug candidates and optimising testing processes.

“With robots, we can automate many more tasks, especially repetitive, non-ergonomic work that is otherwise highly time consuming,” says Collados. This automation frees up valuable time for scientists and lab technicians, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities like data analytics, ultimately accelerating research and time-to-market. This shift towards automation is not just about doing things faster, it’s about doing them better. “Digitalisation, machine learning and artificial intelligence provide great opportunities to accelerate new material discovery and testing, and the use of automation is an enabler to capture data and to adapt the process dynamically, as results are generated.”

ABB’s GoFa collaborative robot works seamlessly with Mettler-Toledo instruments, enabling highly efficient automated laboratory workflows.

Building a collaborative ecosystem for lab automation

ABB’s collaborative approach is central to its strategy. Collaborations with other leaders in the pharma industry are not merely partnerships, they are strategic alliances designed to create a seamless and integrated approach to lab automation. “ABB’s collaborations with Mettler Toledo and Agilent Technologies are central to its strategy of partnering with leading laboratory equipment and solutions companies. Together, they are developing an ecosystem of lab automation processes and experts to accelerate the global adoption of robotic lab automation. The goal is to simplify automation, providing reliable, fully validated products supported by comprehensive global service,” shares Collados. This collaborative ecosystem ensures that the solutions developed are not only technologically advanced but also tailored to the specific needs of the lab environment.

In the field of drug discovery, precision, consistency and efficiency are critical to accelerating breakthroughs and bringing new treatments to market. Automation plays a vital role in overcoming bottlenecks caused by labour shortages, human error and the sheer complexity of modern research. A key player in ABB’s automation solutions is the GoFa™ collaborative robot. “ABB’s GoFa collaborative robot (cobot) has proved to be a popular choice for lab automation, thanks to its class-leading speed, safety and ease-of-use features,” Collados remarks. “The GoFa cobot offers some of the best repeatability on the market and is cleanroom certified, making it an ideal choice for tasks like powder dispensing, pipetting and more.”

GoFa’s collaborative nature is crucial as it’s designed to work alongside human operators, performing repetitive and labour-intensive tasks like sample handling, testing and data processing. This partnership not only improves productivity and efficiency but also allows for the capture of process data and dynamic reaction to orchestration software, further optimising workflows.

Precision and reliability in lab processes

Precision and reliability are paramount in laboratory settings, particularly when dealing with sensitive samples and complex analyses. Collados emphasises how ABB’s robotic technology addresses this need: “Automating sample preparation with ABB robotic technology minimises sample variability and reduces human errors, significantly enhancing the accuracy and reliability of subsequent analytical procedures, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, automation frees scientists from repetitive, ergonomically challenging tasks, providing them valuable ‘walk-away’ time that can be redirected towards more strategic, value-added activities.” Collados continues, “This is particularly beneficial when automated sample preparation is integrated with automated instrument tending, further optimising efficiency and productivity.”

Additionally, ABB’s robotic technology is highly adaptable, capable of handling a broad range of liquid and solid samples. For example, it can pick up tablets using advanced artificial vision. Processes such as stirring, vortexing, pouring, shaking, syringe handling and heating can all be seamlessly integrated to create a customised workflow tailored to specific requirements.

The future of automation

The integration of collaborative robots into lab workflows presents a paradigm shift in how scientists operate. “Automation has existed for sample preparation, transport and analysis in laboratories for many years. Drug discovery requires further flexibility than diagnostics or chemical quality control and can strongly benefit from flexible robotics automation. The collaborative robot technology has evolved in a way that we can use vision systems, tool changers, sensors and software to overcome many of the barriers to ‘lights off’ laboratory automation.” This vision of ‘lights off’ automation, where labs can operate autonomously for extended periods, is becoming a reality thanks to advancements in collaborative robotics.

However, Collados emphasises that technology alone isn’t sufficient. The key to successful implementation lies in the collaboration between technology providers and scientific experts. “New technological developments related to cobot models and features, autonomous mobile robots, mobile manipulators and artificial intelligence will support drug discovery and development. But the key is that technology is developed together with scientific and process experts, and this is the reason why collaboration between experts is so important.” This approach ensures that the technology being developed truly meets the needs of the scientific community.

There is no doubt that the future of drug discovery is deeply connected to the ongoing advancement and integration of automation technologies. With its commitment to collaborative robotics, strategic partnerships and tailored solutions, ABB is helping to lead this transformative shift. By equipping scientists with innovative tools that enhance efficiency, precision and creativity, ABB is not only accelerating the development of life-saving treatments but also driving progress in global healthcare.