Survey looks at LIMS worldwide

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 16, 2002

"Laboratory information management systems worldwide outlook - market analysis and forecast through 2007" provides comprehensive strategies for suppliers on how to exploit emerging trends.

The data in laboratory information management systems (LIMS) was once the private domain of the test laboratory.

Now, these applications are going beyond merely the efficiency of the lab and crossing traditional boundaries to improve the productivity of the entire enterprise.

The urgency to reduce cost due to dwindling resources along with new regulatory standards will drive significant growth in the LIMS market.

The worldwide market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% over the next five years.

The market will produce revenues of $275 million in 2002 and is forecasted to be over $347 million in 2007, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

"An increasing need for timely information that only an integrated LIMS can provide has become a powerful motivator for users to implement LIMS solutions in old and new plants", according to ARC Research Director Wil Chin, the principal author of ARC's "Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) worldwide outlook".

Regulated industries, such as pharmaceutical and other human consumption related industries, will lead the growth of the LIMS market.

However, process industries including chemical, petrochemical and others will expand their applications to provide growth to a previously stagnating market.

Environmental and FDA regulations, plus the awareness of the positive financial impact that LIMS can have on the profitability of the enterprise, are fuelling the adoption of LIMS projects.

FDA 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature and 21 CFR Part 210/211 current good manufacturing practices used in manufacturing drugs and finished pharmaceuticals will motivate users to increase automation of their enterprises.

Additionally, added functionality in LIMS solutions provides an easy means to validate the laboratory and prove compliance to regulations.

This capability will further improve demand.

Laboratories and the enterprises they serve will encounter a surge in automation in the next few years.

Driven by the need for efficiency and the magnitude of tests performed today, a LIMS automated laboratory will be mandatory for even the smallest labs.

With test samples growing to millions per year, LIMS complemented with automated intelligent analytical test equipment are necessary to keep track of the tedious administration functions of the lab.

Astute suppliers are providing lower cost, shrink-wrapped, user configurable solutions to address the small lab market.

The road to open systems seems to be accelerating, as newer technology becomes available.

Not long ago, Unix operating systems were heralded as the answer to open.

Now it has moved to PC-based technologies, along with open standards such as Ethernet.

Developments in automation-specific standards such as IEC61131-3 programming language are finding its way into process automation systems.

As adoption enters the mainstream process, enterprise and all other applications will likely be easier to connect in the future.

The newly released "Laboratory information management systems worldwide outlook - market analysis and forecast through 2007", from ARC provides comprehensive strategies for suppliers on how to exploit emerging trends.

LIMS supplier market share information and five-year forecasts segmented by region, industry, system size, service, architecture, integration, and regulation are included in the study.

All leading LIMS suppliers are profiled.