Staff
Dubai, Oct 2, 2026: University laboratories are being rethought as connected spaces that can be reconfigured, rather than fixed rooms tied to a single discipline. This year’s upgrades are shaped by digitally monitored equipment, modular benching, high-performance computing and stricter safety compliance.
Institutions also increasingly want students working with the same tools they will meet in industry.
Sustainability is adding pressure too. Recent reports indicate that labs use more energy per square foot than any other type of facility apart from data centres. Suppliers say this is now shaping what universities buy.
Smart laboratories
Suppliers describe a steady move towards smart laboratory systems. “Equipment such as centrifuges, sterilisers, cold-storage units and environmental monitoring devices are now designed with digital control interfaces, real-time data logging and remote diagnostics,” says Elizabeth Mahinay, Business Development Manager at Caresource, a UAE supplier of scientific and laboratory equipment. “This supports both teaching and research workflows, especially in STEM programmes that require traceability and reproducibility.”
Layouts are changing as well. “Universities are increasingly designing laboratories with flexible bench systems, mobile instrumentation and scalable utilities to accommodate rapid curriculum changes and multidisciplinary research,” says Mahinay. She adds that this modularity is shaping procurement, “with institutions prioritising compact, energy-efficient and multi-application instruments that can be redeployed across departments.”
