Electronic Lab Notebook: 5 Lab Trends on the Rise in 2023

We’ll listing the 5 lab trends on the rise in 2023, we walk you through the process and the tendencies for your researching lab.

According to a report from Newmark, the demand for lab space in the life science industry grew by as much as 34% in 2021[i]. And as the sector continues to grow, implementing an Electronic Lab Notebook is becoming a necessity to ensure research data security and streamline operations. In fact, 75% of labs have demonstrated interest in purchasing an ELN.

Here are 5 of the biggest lab trends that an ELN can help you get ahead of.

It’s All in the Cloud

In 2023, having a safe cloud-based solution is an absolute must and a lab trend on the rise. Being a quick, efficient, and secure way of centralizing data, this type of digital technology is making its way into more and more labs as they shift to digital. In addition to helping store enormous amounts of data, it allows researchers from anywhere in the world to access and share data safely. A secure cloud-based solution can also make user management and data security practices such as backups and archiving easier.

Collaboration and Flexibility

No matter the industry, collaboration with a focus on healthy, efficient working relationships among individuals and teams is the name of the game. Therefore, labs are constantly undergoing changes to reduce the amount of non-value-added activities and manual work – such as manually transferring test data and results from an instrument to a database for storage and analysis – which can drain resources and decrease efficiency. A reliable ELN such as Pillar Science allows for easy and quick access to data among all participating team members without the all the extra burdensome tasks.

With projects and timelines constantly evolving, many labs are also incorporating new user-friendly tools to accommodate the schedule changes. This means greater flexibility in terms of project planning and equipment booking whether the teams are working from home or at the lab.

Increased Reproducibility and Reliability

Every lab must be able to reproduce and replicate its experiments with different components. It’s the stuff that science is made of. But, with traditional notebooks, manual mistakes or lost files can lead to gaps in data accuracy. By placing their data in a single location such as an ELN, labs can successfully keep track of their notes and replicate their procedures, improving their reproducibility and reliability. Is not a surprise to see that increasing reproducibility and reliability through the ELN is a critical Lab trend on the rise.

Here, There, Anywhere

At one time, the idea of work being done, completed, and checked within the confined space of the same four walls was the ideology of the world – until COVID hit. Now, remote access is not only possible, it’s expected! Whether a team member needs to check the status of an experiment, verify the results from a specific procedure, or share information with a colleague, remote access to the lab is now a necessary and imperative function to successful labs. Allowing remote access to centralized data keeps the innovation – and your business – going.

R&D Tax Relief

Continuing throughout the year and into the next, this program launched by the Canadian government in 2019 allows scientific organizations to benefit from a research and development tax credit. To be eligible for the credit, labs are required to keep track of actions and procedures, in detailed timesheets such as the one incorporated in Pillar Science’s ELN.

Check here to see if your lab is eligible for the R&D tax relief within your province!

Get Ahead of the Trends with Pillar Science

Implementing an Electronic Lab Notebook will make research data and procedures easy to access while increasing reproducibility and allowing your team to focus on value-added activities (you know, the ones that drive progress and bring business).

Pillar Science provides a safe cloud-based collaboration space designed specifically for labs and scientists. Our modern and user-friendly ELN comes with secure servers and all the space you need to store your experimental data and never use notebooks again. Providing an ISO and GxP compliant research environment following FDA 21 CFR part 11, we leverage in-transit over TSL/SSL connections and at-rest encryption using AES-256 to help secure data. Goodbye draining tasks, hello productivity and peace of mind. Discover the paperless world that will improve team collaboration, consistency, and the ability to perform your work from any location.

Do you want to switch to an ELN but don’t know where to start? Book a consultation or request a demo and let us help you centralize your research.

[i] https://www.nmrk.com/insights/real-insights/the-conversion-conversation-factors-driving-office-to-lab-repositioning-in-key-life-science-markets