From May 20–22, the SLAS Europe Conference and Exhibition took place in Hamburg for the first time – and it was a resounding success. With more than 1,700 participants and 137 exhibitors, the event, organized by the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), broke new records and surpassed all previous European editions. This is especially rewarding for Philip Gribbon, Head of the Fraunhofer ITMP site in Hamburg and SLAS President, who opened this year’s conference. He had previously advocated for Hamburg to become the long-term European host city (as previously reported).

The growing significance of artificial intelligence and data-driven systems in drug discovery and development was clearly evident in Hamburg. Across 40 product presentations, talks, and pitches, companies showcased new automation technologies. The conference also offered a wide range of networking opportunities and facilitated knowledge exchange on the latest developments in laboratory automation and drug discovery. The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores Hamburg’s role as a major life sciences hub.

Awards for the most innovative new products

Special recognition was given to the two winners of the SLAS New Product Awards, selected from a pool of six finalists and honored for the most outstanding product innovations of 2025. The evaluation criteria included technological maturity, proof of concept, market potential, and impact on innovation. Only products that became commercially available within 90 days before or after the conference were eligible.

One of the awards went to Hamburg-based start-up and Life Science Nord member mo:re GmbH, which debuted its automated Mo:bot system at SLAS. The technology enables fully automated cultivation and analysis of human organoids – lab-grown replicas of human organs used particularly in early-stage drug development. “Our platform, combining lab robotics and software, replaces animal testing by enabling AI-powered cultivation of disease models, allowing for standardized and high-throughput compound testing,” explained CEO Lukas Gaats in Hamburg. “This supports scalable experimentation without compromising traceability or quality, helping to bridge the gap between proof-of-concept and industrial-scale studies.”

The second award went to UK-based Wildcat Laboratory Solutions for its recyclable “2D Tube Racks”, designed to significantly reduce plastic use and environmental impact in laboratory settings.

Recognizing the most promising start-up

The SLAS Ignite Award honors the most compelling start-up or emerging company presenting in the dedicated innovation area, AveNEW.

The AveNEW exhibitors, selected by SLAS, were evaluated by a jury based on various criteria – including market strategy, growth potential, funding plans, market relevance, and a well-balanced leadership team. This year’s winner, Oryl Photonics SA from Switzerland, triumphed over five other finalists and received a cash prize of $5,000. Headquartered in Lausanne, the start-up developed a novel laboratory instrument that uses advanced light scattering technology to automatically measure drug solubility with minimal resource use.

Highlights from Fraunhofer ITMP

Even before the official start of the conference, the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP) opened its laboratories for two technology showcase events in collaboration with Revvity Cellular Technologies. The workshops focused on targeted protein degradation, a topic further explored in a presentation by Johanna Huchting. Another ITMP contribution, presented by Maria Kuzikov, examined the intersection of machine learning and experimental screening in the context of drug repurposing. Additional showcases were hosted by Evotec and acCELLerate as part of the technology tour.

The institute also presented four scientific posters, one of which received the Student Poster Award.

I’m grateful that Fraunhofer ITMP had the opportunity to contribute in such diverse ways. Hamburg has proven to be an ideal host city for SLAS Europe. We are already looking forward to 2027, when the conference returns to our city.

Philip Gribbon with an eye on 2027

In 2026, SLAS Europe will take place in Vienna from May 19–21.

Featured image: Philip Gribbon, President of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) for the year 2025, during his opening speech. Source: SLAS

Text: Lea Holzamer