Research suggests UAE laboratories should adopt technology to boost automation

Medlab Middle East, the MENA region’s medical laboratory exhibition and congress, which returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6 to 9 February, has revealed the top trends influencing clinical laboratory markets in the UAE and globally, according to a new report released ahead of the show’s 2023 edition.

With clinical laboratories taking center stage at COVID-19 by developing tests, collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders, ramping up test activity, throughput, and efficiency, and serving patients virtually via telehealth, a new Frost & Sullivan report titled Global clinical laboratory trends, developed on behalf of Medlab Middle East, has identified the key factors set to impact the clinical laboratory market going forward.

According to the report, the top industry trends in 2023 will be personalised medicine, complex testing, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), the expedition of drug development and analytics through clinical trials, accelerated consumerisation, specialized training or qualified laboratory physicians, and clinical interpretation services.

Tom Coleman, Exhibition Director, Informa Markets Healthcare, said: “The demand for accurate, cost-effective, rapid testing will increase the use of advanced instrumentation and technology in labs to support high throughput testing in 2023. This instrumentation will include state-of-the-art liquid handlers, fully or partially automated analysers, and other robotics.

“These are designed to improve diagnostic testing quality and standardise lab workflows. Adopting the technology driving automation and collaboration within the lab, and with important external stakeholders, will be crucial.”

The report also outlined regional laboratory growth opportunities, such as innovative diagnostic tests for various therapeutic segments at lower patient costs, as well as broader test menus such as advanced testing in oncology, neurology, and infectious diseases.

Other areas for expansion include the expansion of digital health access through on-demand diagnostic tools and services, with laboratories capitalizing on the shift toward at-home care through at-home service offerings and approved, clinically valid tests with high specificity and sensitivity. Another potential growth area for digital pathology features is the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science, and bioinformatics. Healthcare will become more affordable, accessible, and scalable as a result of this.

Patient-centric, holistic care management programs for personalised care round out the growth opportunities, as laboratories and other diagnostic stakeholders must meet the demand for centered access to virtual care with at-home testing and hospital-at-home services.

“Following the unprecedented times witnessed throughout 2020 and 2021, we are now seeing the laboratory industry recalibrate and look at the growth opportunities available. The diagnostic laboratory testing market will undoubtedly continue to grow, so at Medlab Middle East, we want to ensure we are providing an opportunity for all attendees to understand how they can best capitalise,” added Coleman.

The 2023 edition of the exhibition, which will return under the theme ‘paving the way for technological advancements and sustainability in laboratory medicine’, has already confirmed over 700 exhibitors with representation from over 180 countries and will have 14 country pavilions. 

The show floor will include product categories showcasing the latest technology, innovation and overview of disposables, general services, imaging, IT, laboratory, medical equipment, orthopaedic, physiotherapy, and pharma. It will include a range of seminars and workshops, allowing visitors to hear first-hand about the latest medical laboratory innovations from leading companies. 

The Medlab Middle East Congress returns this year with 13 conferences, making it the largest CME-accredited multi-track medical laboratory congress globally, featuring 120 local and international speakers. 

For more information, please visit https://www.medlabme.com/en/home.html.