An opinion piece by Ciaran O’Shaughnessy

For an industry built on discovery, we don’t always do a great job of learning from each other. Whether it’s pharma, food, forensics, academia, or energy, most sectors tend to keep their heads down and focus on their own processes, their own priorities, and their own way of doing things.

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with being specialised, but in a world that’s moving fast and throwing up tougher problems, we need to broaden our thinking. Because if we’re going to tackle the really big stuff – public health, climate, sustainable materials, and so on – we can’t afford to keep working in isolation.

There’s so much untapped potential in just talking to each other.

Take pharmaceutical labs, for example – they often lead the way when it comes to managing risk and keeping detailed records. But how often do those kinds of practices make their way into environmental or food testing labs? On the flip side, some of the automation used in diagnostics or high-throughput screening could massively boost efficiency in industrial or academic settings – if only there were more opportunities to share that knowledge.

It’s not just about equipment or procedures either. It’s about mindset. Different industries approach problems in totally different ways, and if we actually had the chance to compare notes more often, maybe we’d all come away with sharper thinking.

So what’s stopping us?

I think part of it is habit. Labs are often under pressure to deliver results fast, with limited very resources, and there’s not always time or incentive to look beyond the immediate task list. But another part of the issue is structural. Laboratories are often specialised by industry, and most events, networks, and journals focus on those specific sectors. As a result, cross-industry collaboration rarely happens naturally.

That’s why we need to be more intentional about it. Shared research hubs. Collaborative projects. Even just cross-sector roundtables or site visits. Anything that gets people out of their bubbles and into a room with someone who sees the world through a different scientific lens.

We were able to recognise a brilliant example of this at last year’s Lab Awards, where AstraZeneca took home the ‘Best Collaborative Project’ for the creation of ‘The Discovery Centre (DISC)’ – a state-of-the-art R&D facility in Cambridge designed specifically to foster sustainability, and cross-disciplinary teamwork. It’s a reminder that when collaboration is built into the foundations of how we work, it can lead to ground-breaking progress.

That being said, I know that collaboration comes with its challenges, including the need for better funding and resources. Labs are often under pressure to deliver results within tight budgets, and bringing sectors together requires time, effort, and, of course, money. But we’ve got to start somewhere – and it doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.

The truth is, none of us have all the answers. But together, we might just get closer.

What changes would you like to see to break down the silos in laboratory science?