Agenda Day 2

Automation is no longer just about efficiency – it’s about enabling new ways of working, accelerating discovery, and demonstrating value to both scientists and the business. This panel will bring together leaders who are piloting, scaling, and embedding automation into their labs to explore what’s working, what’s next, and how to overcome the cultural and technical barriers that remain.

Discussion points:

• Streamlining repetitive lab tasks through robotic and instrument automation to reduce errors and free up scientist time.
• Integrating automation platforms with lab data systems (LIMS/ELN) for seamless workflow orchestration.
• Overcoming implementation challenges: scaling automation across multiple sites and aligning with regulatory requirements.
• Measuring ROI: how labs quantify the efficiency, throughput, and quality gains from automation.
• Preparing automation for future AI augmentation: building workflows and data pipelines that can feed predictive models

Claudio Battilocchio

Digital Automation and IoT Lead, R&D
Syngenta Crop Protection

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Join this session to learn:

• Explore real-world success stories from industry leaders who are transforming R&D with artificial intelligence.
• Learn from both wins and challenges to understand what it really takes to integrate AI effectively in innovation.
• Gain practical strategies for building the structured, high-quality data foundation that powers predictive modelling and automation.
• Discover how data-driven R&D accelerates discovery, boosts innovation, and creates a lasting competitive advantage 

Sponsored by: Uncountable

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Implementing AI and digital transformation in laboratory environments often faces resistance due to established practices and workflows. This session presents proven strategies to overcome these challenges, ensuring successful adoption and long-term success.

• Overcoming resistance to change: Learn practical strategies to get scientists and lab teams on board, reducing friction when adopting new digital and AI tools.
• Aligning leadership and lab priorities: Discover how to demonstrate the value of AI initiatives to secure investment and executive support.
• Ensuring effective adoption of technology: Understand how structured change management, training, and feedback loops maximize usage and long-term benefits of digital solutions. 

Sponsored by: Astrix

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Non-standardised data generation and capture workflows often hinder efforts to apply machine learning in small molecule optimization. In this case study, Daniel Baeschlin shares how Novartis is systematically addressing these challenges to enable more consistent, machine-readable lab data.

Attendees will gain insights into:

• How Novartis is improving data standardisation to unlock AI and machine learning potential in drug discovery.
• Key organisational and technical hurdles in transforming lab-based data generation.
• Lessons learned from piloting an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) for research lab operations.
• Practical steps to advance towards automation and smarter data capture in scientific environments. 

Daniel Baeschlin

Executive Director High Throughput Biology
Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

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As labs generate ever-growing volumes of data across discovery, development, clinical, and commercial functions, the challenge has shifted from collecting data to connecting it. In this keynote, Michael will share a pragmatic roadmap—drawing on real-world experience with Microsoft Fabric, Scitara, and leading informatics platforms—to build a truly connected lab that enables scalability, interoperability, and AI-readiness without adding technical debt.

Key takeaways:

• • How to architect a technology stack that connects lab, clinical, and commercial data streams.
  • Practical steps to achieving interoperability across ELNs, LIMS, and data platforms.
  • The role of Microsoft Fabric and modern lakehouse architectures in enabling secure, scalable data integration.
  • How to future-proof your infrastructure to support AI and analytics initiatives. 

Michael Morris

Data Transformation Lead
Argenx

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In today’s rapidly evolving lab environment, adopting new technologies is only part of the challenge—demonstrating their value to leadership is just as critical. This keynote will guide you through how to articulate the impact of your technology initiatives in a way that resonates with decision-makers.

• Explore how to:
  • Demonstrate tangible impact: Translate technology initiatives into measurable improvements in productivity, speed-to-market, or cost reduction.
  • Overcome stakeholder scepticism: Show how new tools integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and deliver actionable insights without disruption.
  • Build a compelling narrative: Frame use cases to highlight strategic value, long-term ROI, and alignment with broader business objectives.