Vietnam’s laboratory sector is moving towards greater automation as hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers and research institutions seek faster, more accurate and efficient testing and analysis.
According to Grand View Research, the global laboratory automation market is projected to grow from US$10 billion in 2026 to US$18.4 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3%.
Although a reliable standalone valuation for Vietnam’s laboratory automation market is not publicly available, growing investment in clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research, genomics and biotechnology points to opportunities for suppliers of automated laboratory systems.
From manual processes to intelligent laboratories
Laboratory automation is transforming how samples are received, prepared, analysed, tracked and reported.
Technologies including robotic liquid handling, automated sample preparation, integrated diagnostic analysers, laboratory robotics and high-throughput screening systems are helping laboratories increase capacity, improve consistency and reduce manual intervention.
Vietnam’s wider laboratory equipment market is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 6.7% between 2026 and 2032, providing an indication of continued investment in laboratory infrastructure.
Automation is also increasingly being integrated with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), artificial intelligence, cloud-based platforms and real-time data integration. These technologies can improve traceability, streamline workflows and support more informed decision-making.
International manufacturers develop advanced laboratory systems
Leading international companies in laboratory automation include Roche Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Beckman Coulter (Danaher), Siemens Healthineers, Abbott, Sysmex, Tecan, Hamilton, QIAGEN and Agilent Technologies.
Their technologies span automated clinical chemistry and immunoassay systems, molecular diagnostics, liquid handling, sample processing, laboratory robotics, analytical instrumentation and connected laboratory workflows.
Roche Diagnostics, for example, markets its automated cobas pro clinical chemistry and immunoassay system in Vietnam, alongside the cobas 5800 molecular diagnostics platform, which automates multiple stages of molecular testing.
These technologies demonstrate the shift towards integrated laboratory systems capable of managing increasingly complex workflows with reduced manual intervention.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications expand
Automation is becoming increasingly relevant to Vietnam’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Drug discovery, molecular biology, pharmaceutical quality control, cell culture, genomics and proteomics all require precise, reproducible and increasingly high-throughput laboratory processes.
As pharmaceutical manufacturers invest in higher-quality production and research capabilities, automation offers opportunities to improve sample handling, testing consistency, laboratory productivity and data integrity.
For biotechnology companies and research institutions, automated systems can also support more complex experimental workflows, improve reproducibility and increase the volume of samples processed.
Opportunities across the laboratory ecosystem
The commercial opportunity extends beyond individual instruments.
Growth in automation creates demand for laboratory robotics, automated liquid handling, sample preparation, high-throughput screening, integrated diagnostic systems, laboratory software, LIMS, consumables, system integration, validation and technical services.
For international suppliers, Vietnam represents an emerging market for technologies that help laboratories increase testing capacity, strengthen quality management and support increasingly sophisticated scientific research.
As laboratories become more connected and data-driven, automation is expected to play a growing role in the modernisation of Vietnam’s diagnostics, pharmaceutical and research infrastructure.