Industry Topics

• Definition of standardized interfaces to—according to the vision—create smart devices capable of unrestricted communication and autonomous operation, which can be intelligently and easily integrated into the customer’s laboratory environment, centrally controlled, and deployed in flexibly configurable laboratory lines.
• The increasing complexity of laboratory processes and customer demand for quick and flexible adaptation of analytical methods to different applications call for efficient automation and robotics solutions. These solutions allow laboratory staff to spend less time at the laboratory equipment—while simultaneously increasing sample throughput, improving data quality, and reducing resource consumption.
• The data generated by increasingly powerful analytical systems holds enormous informational potential when these data sets can be intelligently analyzed using optimized software systems and machine learning methods: Big Data becomes Smart Data.
• As customer demands and standards regarding documentation and reproducibility continue to rise, laboratory equipment is increasingly expected to simplify compliance and meet regulatory requirements.
• Augmented reality is making its way into laboratories at the concept and prototype stages in the form of smart glasses, virtual lab planning and tracking systems, and other technologies. Rapid developments in this area are expected in the coming years.

SPECTARIS evaluates universal interface standards and data formats

An automated laboratory infrastructure typically consists of many highly specialized components and modules from different manufacturers. The ability to network these units is becoming increasingly important and is therefore essential for laboratory equipment manufacturers to maintain a strong market position. 

The SPECTARIS members of the Professional Association for Analytical, Biotech, and Laboratory Technology are therefore working together to find a solution for the networking and communication of laboratory equipment. The vision of the "Networked Laboratory Equipment" project group is to simplify the integration of various devices from different manufacturers into customers' central monitoring and control systems.

For this reason, SPECTARIS organizes regular meetings to work together to find a good solution for the laboratory industry. A first step in this process was to gain a clearer picture of existing solutions in the industry—such as OPC Unified Architecture and SiLA—as well as Industry 4.0 concepts and solutions from other sectors.

Anyone interested is cordially invited to participate in the process.

Partnership Between SPECTARIS and the Federal Association of German Startups

SPECTARIS and the Federal Association of German Startups will be collaborating even more closely in the future. The goal is to foster closer contact and exchange between the established laboratory industry and innovative startups in the fields of analytical, bio, and laboratory technology. An initial meeting took place during the spring conference of the SPECTARIS Professional Association for Analytical, Bio, and Laboratory Technology on February 23, 2017, at Shimadzu in Duisburg. During the startup pitch, the young companies ATR Elements, bentekk, cubuslab, and foxySPEC introduced themselves.

According to Mirco Dragowski, Managing Director of the Federal Association of German Startups e.V., SPECTARIS provides a great platform for startups to network with established companies and market leaders. These companies can offer valuable support to startups in addressing numerous challenges—such as issues related to internationalization, sales, product development, and regulatory requirements—and thereby contribute to the cultivation of the startup ecosystem. Networking between small and medium-sized enterprises and these startups brings many benefits, such as fresh product and solution approaches, an increased pace of innovation, and insight into a completely different corporate and value culture.

In the future, both associations plan to collaborate even more closely in these fields to facilitate and strengthen connections between startups and established companies in the fields of analytical, biotechnology, and laboratory technology.
 

REACH Regulation
The REACH Regulation establishes an integrated system for the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemical substances and creates a European Chemicals Agency to handle the day-to-day tasks related to REACH.
Manufacturers and distributors of products in the fields of analytical, biotechnology, and laboratory technology must comply with various regulations and requirements before launching their products on the market, whether in Germany, the European Union, or other export destinations. SPECTARIS supports its members in all matters related to regulatory affairs.

> READ MORE

RoHS Directive
The RoHS Directive (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances) mandates that lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in electrical and electronic equipment must be replaced with other substances.

> READ MORE

WEEE Directive
The WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) aims to prevent waste from electrical and electronic equipment and promotes reuse, recycling, and other forms of recovery to reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of.

> READ MORE