Lab Automation Market - Forecast from 2026 to 2031

The lab automation market is forecasted to expand at a 7.3% CAGR, growing from USD 7.280 billion in 2025 to USD 11.113 billion in 2031.

The lab automation market is predicted to hold significant market share during the forecast period, driven by technological advancements, miniaturization demands, and increasing adoption of automated systems across healthcare and research settings. Laboratory automation utilizes new technology to speed up or replace manual manipulation of lab procedures and tools, with the amount and extent of automation chosen based on specific laboratory processes. Academic and research institutes are increasingly using automated instruments to reduce time spent on various tasks and increase overall production.

Primary Market Drivers

Technological Advancement and Healthcare Demand

Worldwide technological advancement is driving demand for the lab automation industry. Tools and equipment for lab automation are utilized in the healthcare industry, with top pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations automating labs to provide cutting-edge healthcare services rapidly. During the projection period, increasing usage of automated instruments for drug discovery and development is predicted to fuel market growth. The emphasis on accelerating drug development timelines and improving experimental reproducibility creates sustained demand for sophisticated automation platforms.

Miniaturization Innovation

Rising demand for process miniaturization represents an important factor driving the worldwide industry. The use of automated technologies in clinical laboratories is driven by needs to speed up research method miniaturization to find answers for challenging lab automation problems in fields like microbiology, biotechnology, and clinical chemistry. Miniaturization facilitates cell expansion, monitoring, and cultivation, reducing turnaround times, especially in point-of-care settings. This trend enables researchers to conduct more experiments with smaller sample volumes and reduced reagent consumption, improving cost-efficiency and experimental throughput.

Automated Storage System Adoption

Using automated storage and retrieval systems helps improve inventory control. When using manual inventory control, operators must check inventory frequently to obtain relevant data. By completely enclosing inventory, automated storage and retrieval systems keep it safe, secure, and under control. ASRS helps find lost or stolen items, increasing accountability and security while reducing inventory shrinkage. These systems provide real-time inventory tracking, optimize storage space utilization, and ensure proper sample preservation conditions, critical for maintaining sample integrity in research and clinical laboratories.

Modular Automation Flexibility

Modular automation systems' flexibility features are responsible for increasing market growth. These systems are appropriate for laboratories requiring automation for particular procedures. They are anticipated to increase due to growing demand for innovative automation systems and their capacity to provide customization services based on laboratory requirements. These systems work effectively in laboratories with high volumes and provide accurate quality control standards. The modular approach allows laboratories to scale automation investments incrementally, reducing initial capital requirements while maintaining upgrade pathways.

Automated Liquid Handling Dominance

The laboratory automation industry is predicted to be dominated by automated liquid handling systems. Academic laboratories as well as pharma and biotech labs have boosted their use of liquid-handling equipment. Market players are incorporating the most recent features into automatic liquid handling technology, which continuously develops. Newly launched automated liquid handling systems combine cutting-edge features, adaptability, and user-friendliness while maintaining clean, clear aesthetics. These systems enable high-throughput screening, precise reagent dispensing, and complex multi-step protocols with minimal human intervention.

Continuous Flow Process Adoption

The continuous flow lab automation market is anticipated to have the highest revenue share. Rising demand for continuous flow systems in industries and increasing usage of continuous flow in labs for high-quality service provision are responsible for higher revenue growth. Continuous flow is one of the most popular procedures and is appropriate when numerous samples need analysis. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries' strong demand for continuous flow processes and market participants' growing attempts to launch innovative products using continuous flow processes are expected to fuel market growth.

Regional Dynamics

The North American lab automation market is anticipated to grow significantly. The presence of an established healthcare system and strong need for automation systems throughout laboratories due to speed, uniformity, and precision are factors involved in rapid growth. The Asia Pacific region is predicted to have large market share, driven by rising investment by market leaders for product innovation and increasing numbers of laboratories. Favorable government regulations for lab automation are promoting regional industry growth.

Strategic Industry Approaches and Recent Developments

Growing demand for specialized, cutting-edge automated services that do not rely on human errors is driving laboratory automation market growth. Growing investment in cutting-edge technology and product innovation are key strategies used by market players. These players are more concerned with minimizing manual labor and hands-on time for traditionally time-consuming operations.

In May 2023, Scientific Laboratory Supplies released Accuris Instruments AutoMATE 96 by Benchmark Scientific. In February 2023, Automata, a leading provider of lab automation services, announced its expansion in the United States. In January 2023, Becton, Dickinson and Company introduced a third-generation lab automation system.

The lab automation market continues evolving, driven by technological sophistication, workflow optimization imperatives, and the research and healthcare industries' focus on increasing throughput, accuracy, and reproducibility while reducing manual labor and operational costs.

Key Benefits of this Report:

• Insightful Analysis: Gain detailed market insights covering major as well as emerging geographical regions, focusing on customer segments, government policies and socio-economic factors, consumer preferences, industry verticals, and other sub-segments.
• Competitive Landscape: Understand the strategic maneuvers employed by key players globally to understand possible market penetration with the correct strategy.
• Market Drivers & Future Trends: Explore the dynamic factors and pivotal market trends and how they will shape future market developments.
• Actionable Recommendations: Utilize the insights to exercise strategic decisions to uncover new business streams and revenues in a dynamic environment.
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Industry and Market Insights, Opportunity Assessment, Product Demand Forecasting, Market Entry Strategy, Geographical Expansion, Capital Investment Decisions, Regulatory Framework & Implications, New Product Development, Competitive Intelligence

Report Coverage:

• Historical data from 2021 to 2025 & forecast data from 2026 to 2031
• Growth Opportunities, Challenges, Supply Chain Outlook, Regulatory Framework, and Trend Analysis
• Competitive Positioning, Strategies, and Market Share Analysis
• Revenue Growth and Forecast Assessment of segments and regions including countries
• Company Profiling (Strategies, Products, Financial Information), and Key Developments among others.

Lab Automation Market Segmentation

• By Process
• Continuous Flow
• Discrete Flow
• By Application
• Photometry & Fluorometry
• Immunoassay Analysis
• Electrolyte Analysis
• Others
• By Automation
• Total Automation Systems
• Modular Automation Systems
• By Geography
• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Others