This document discusses the future of digital laboratories and the role of electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) in facilitating laboratory modernization. It notes that while the vision of a fully digital and automated lab is clear, executing a digital roadmap is challenging due to complexity and heterogeneity among laboratory personnel and processes. However, ELNs that are easy to use can help induce "digital readiness" by making it simpler to record findings and enabling more efficient collaboration. This serves to position ELNs as the gateway to integrating other digital technologies like sensors, automation, and artificial intelligence. Successful digital transformation ultimately depends more on business models that support partnerships across software and hardware providers than on technologies alone.

1. Not just a notebook - How ELNs are becoming
the gateways for the lab of the future

2. MEET THE LABORATORY OF THE FUTURE:
Data is everywhere
Smart devices, connected via IoT
Labs are fully automatised
AR/VR helps the researcher to have full control
AI is assisting the researcher in his decisions

3. THERE ARE ROADBLOCKS FOR MODERNIZATION

4. DIFFERENT PERSONAS - DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS
4
PhD student Head of R&D
Group leader
MD student
Technician
Post-Doc
Lab manager
Core facility
manager QM manager
The IT guy

5. 5
THE ELN IS A GATEWAY TO
DIGITIZATION

6. FOR A PLATFORM, USER EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Easy to use
Low effort to go digital
Flexible
Integrate with your lab
Collaborative
More efficient teamwork
Safe & Compliant
Integrate in your lab
Our value proposition:
1.) Make it easier to record findings and make new discoveries
2.) Get lab teams “digital ready”

7. digital notebook relevant for
the entire research life cycle
involved in many collaborative
activities
less involved in specialist
activities
ELNS ARE PRESENT IN ALL STAGES OF R&D
planning &
sourcing
knowledge
discovery
process
execution
data
capture
documentation
& archiving
data retrieval,
mining
data analysis,
intelligence
result
exploitation
design of
process /
experiment
specialists:
lab suppliers
specialists:
manufacturers
perfect platform for
providers of specialized
products and services
main productivity and
collaboration toolspecialists:
IoT platforms, integrators
specialist
Scientific
software
specialists:
researcher networks,
platforms

8. 8
THE DIGITAL LAB NOTEBOOK IS THE GATEWAY
The ELN is the perfect gateway to many other digital innovations
and business models in the lab environment
Smart devices
Automatization
Data-mining & AI
Various scientific
& methodological fields
R&D, Diagnostic/Testing, QM/QA
Sharing, publishing, IP protection
Inventory & Sourcing
8

9. SCALING FROM R&D TO INDUSTRY IS A CHALLENGE
9
high
throughput
low
throughput
flexible processes
(manual)
standardized processes
(automated)
barrier1
barrier2
research
development
production
Building a product both for
fundamental R&D and industry,
because making automation
possible at the ground level
generates the basis of
procedural data needed for
scaling up, rapidly.
Automation = higher quality = better reproducibility = better scaling.
Automation needs to be possible, feasible and affordable from early on.

10. smartLAB - SUCCESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
10

11. 11
1. The vision of the digital lab of the future is clear.
2. Execution of a digital roadmap is the challenge (complexity, heterogeneity …)
3. People in the lab with different roles (“personas”) are the biggest roadblocks
4. Easy to use ELNs can induce “digital readiness” to the team
5. Digital readiness = when ideas for digital improvements of efficiency are generated by different
roles within the team.
6. Then, platform-ready ELNs can serve as a gateway to realization of ideas.
7. Realizing “plug & play” device integration and automation requires challenging
relationship-building between software & hardware suppliers, integrators, customers.
8. Labvolutions “smartLAB” stands out as a good example for those relationships.
9. For wide-spread digital transformation of labs, the business model - not technology - is the key.
SUMMARY

12. Elsenstr. 106, 12435 Berlin, Germany +49 (0) 3086459390 contact@labfolder.com www.labfolder.com
Thanks for your attention!
Dr. Simon Bungers
Co-Founder & CEO
sb@labfolder.com
@sbungers | @labfolder
Mobile: +49 (0) 177 6014270