Global laboratory outsourcing trends 2006

By Andrew Swift, Ph.D., Senior VP for Laboratory Outsourcing

2005 set a record for the number and diversity of laboratory outsourcing acquisitions made by Intertek analytical services division. Intertek sees continued interest and opportunities for laboratory outsourcing across global industry sectors for 2006.

Traditional in-house corporate laboratories are under pressure:In-house dedicated company laboratories are suitable for outsourcing to the right lab services partner. The traditional in-house laboratory normally is low on the list for budgetary funds, impacting the corporate lab's performance. The in-house lab can't deliver state-of-the-art testing, which very often is what the parent corporation needs. The in-house laboratory then becomes less useful to the parent corporation. A downward spiral begins. In-house lab instruments are not replaced nor improved, expertise and headcount are reduced to the point where the in-house laboratory cannot meet corporate needs and falls below justifiable utilisation. The long-term future of the traditional in-house laboratory is an open question. Learn More.