Zifo to Spotlight Scientific Process, AI-ready Data and the Future of R&D at Lab of the Future Europe 2026

As a Gold Sponsor, Zifo will take the stage to explore the Odyssey. Not the Greek or Nolan one, the scientific process one.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The lab of the future is not simply more automated. Or more connected. Or powered by the latest AI.

It is a place where scientists can spend less time navigating fragmented tools and data, and more time doing what matters: asking better questions, testing ideas, and advancing discovery.

That vision will be at the center of Zifo's participation at Lab of the Future Europe 2026, taking place September 22-23 in Amsterdam. As a Gold Sponsor, Zifo will join scientific, technology, and R&D leaders from across the Biopharma industry to explore what it takes to build labs that are intelligent, connected, and genuinely designed around science.

Zifo's participation will include a keynote presentation and an interactive Live Lab session led by Adam Paton, Head of Scientific Platform Launches at Zifo.

Rethinking the Scientific Process

On September 22, Adam will present:

"The Odyssey (not the Greek or Nolan one), the Scientific Process One"

Delivered as part of the Advancing Innovation in Biopharma R&D keynote program, the session will explore the scientific process as a journey. One that is rarely linear, frequently complex, and increasingly shaped by the interaction between people, data, technology, and organizational decision-making.

New platforms can accelerate that journey. AI can augment it. Better-connected data can make it easier to see patterns and act on evidence.

But technology alone does not transform science.

The real opportunity lies in designing scientific environments that account for how scientists actually work. That means connecting systems without adding unnecessary complexity, creating access to trusted data, and allowing scientists to move between exploration and execution without losing context.

Adam will also participate in the subsequent panel discussion and Q&A alongside leaders from the Francis Crick Institute, Flagship Pioneering, J&J Innovative Medicine, and Utrecht University.

Asking a Difficult Question About AI and Data

Later that day, Adam will lead an interactive Live Lab titled:

"Does AI Remove the Need for Clean Data?"

It is a deliberately provocative question.

As scientific organizations race to adopt Gen AI, machine learning (ML), and agentic technologies (Agentic AI), it can be tempting to believe these tools will compensate for fragmented, inconsistent, or poorly governed data. In practice, the opposite may be true.

The more influential AI becomes in scientific decision-making, the more important data quality, context, provenance, and accessibility become.

The Live Lab will invite attendees to examine that tension openly. It will explore where AI can help organizations overcome data limitations, where it cannot, and why strong scientific data foundations remain essential for generating results that scientists can understand, trust, and act upon.

Also, Sathiyanarayanan Vasanthakumar, Head of Data & AI - Engineering and Analytics at Zifo, will join Arielle Rolland, DT Data & AI Lead - TechOps, Quality at Argenx, for a session titled "No Model Without the Data: Why CMC AI Stops at the CDMO Boundary." 

Sathya brings experience in scientific data engineering and applied AI across the Biopharma development and manufacturing lifecycle, from turning raw scientific outputs into AI-ready data to delivering applied AI solutions. He will also participate in the Panel Discussion and Q&A.

Connect with Zifo at Lab of the Future Europe

As a Gold Sponsor, Zifo will be available throughout the event to meet with scientific and technology leaders and discuss practical approaches to laboratory modernization, scientific platform strategy, AI readiness, enterprise data, and R&D digital transformation.

Attendees are welcome to connect with the Zifo team during the conference to discuss their scientific informatics priorities, explore current lab challenges, and learn how connected data and technology ecosystems can support faster, more confident scientific decision-making.

For more information about the event and to view the complete program, visit the Lab of the Future Europe agenda and https://zifo.com/event/lab-of-the-future-emea-2026/

About Zifo

Zifo is the leading global enabler of AI and data-driven enterprise informatics for science-driven organizations. With extensive solutions and services expertise spanning research, development, manufacturing, and clinical domains, Zifo serves a diverse range of industries, including Pharma, Biotech, Chemicals, Food and Beverage, Oil & Gas, and FMCG. Trusted by more than 190 organizations worldwide, Zifo is the partner of choice for advancing digital scientific innovation. https://zifo.com/