An instrument built for the next decade
Summer 2023, thank goodness you're here.
Against all odds, we've made it to base camp in our high-altitude climb out of a global pandemic. While we struggle to comprehend the economic toll, challenges facing us before 2020 have seemingly not gone away (see: sustainability, ocean temperatures rise, the electric grid, record heat in the Pacific Northwest).
Consider for a moment the predicament shared by the U.S. government, businesses large and small, and individual households throughout the country. We have pushed up against a debt ceiling which equates to solving increasingly challenging problems with fewer resources. So what does this mean for those invested in R&D and manufacturing?
To explore the enormity of this challenge, may we consider a great albeit absurd American pastime called Nascar. To race a 3,000 lb stock car around Daytona International Speedway at 200 mph, it principally requires three individuals: the crew chief, the driver, and the spotter.
The crew chief is responsible for setting up the car and manages from the pitbox - the Chief Technology Officer. The driver is on the track, keeps their foot on the gas and turns the wheel, something few people are capable of doing in a field of 40 cars - the Scientist. The spotter helps the driver navigate traffic from above the racetrack. They relay messages directly to the driver including whether to stay in the draft or to get out in front and look for clean air. This is where Anton Paar steps in.
We have a unique perspective in "seeing the track" by way of global strategic partnerships covering industry, academia, and government research. What we need to help create a better future is someone "bold enough to drive".
Here at Anton Paar, we work tirelessly to understand how instrumentation will transform the next era of societal growth. This experience has taught us five essential attributes that will propel the next decade's innovation in science and instrumentation:
First, seamless alignment between automation and precision.
Our subject matter expertise is as vast as the clients we work with. In the areas of analytical and laboratory instrumentation, our knowledge extends to:
We pride ourselves as active listeners and place our livelihood in helping clients achieve success. We do this with a relentless passion towards making instruments better, faster, and more resilient.
Take for example the newest NOVA series for surface area and porosity measurements launched in 2022. It was designed to provide operational simplicity and velocity for the entire analysis process. This instrument now delivers four 5-point BETs in 20 mins, with 2% reproducibility - a feat virtually unheard of until recent advancements from our engineering team made it reality.
Second, a "best practices" approach to doing good science.
Anton Paar continues to grow through disruptive technological advancements. However, the success of our clients is rooted in our ability to teach all levels of an organization how to do good science. We help them achieve their goals by continuing to seek and promote the best talent of the respective disciplines in which we occupy. This is why we are so proud of the thought leaders who call Anton Paar, home.
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Dr. Francisco Sotomayor, Head of Product Management and Dr. Katie Struckhoff, Head of Product Competence from the University of Michigan lead the charge on physical characterization of powders and porous materials. When partnered with 30 years of innovation at Anton Paar QuantaTec, they and a cohort of elite researchers have successfully launched the most advanced instrumentation in materials science.
Third, delocalized data generation and information processing.
"Hybrid workforce", "remote employees", and "work-life balance" are all phrases trending in the lexicon of science professionals across the globe. Even before 2020 changed the way we perceive our careers, Anton Paar was changing the way lab spaces are managed.
Today, AP Connect is a lab execution software to help modern research centers engage information whenever and wherever they want. With the potential to connect over 50+ instruments as well as instruments from other manufacturers, Anton Paar is fulfilling the mission to store all data in one place for fast and safe, data-driven decision making.
Furthermore, our "glocalization" - ability to conduct R&D and QA/QC according to both global and local considerations - has afforded us the luxury to channel insights from leading companies around the world into four regional offices (Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Ashland). These regional laboratories funnel experts over all lower 48 states in the U.S. along with specific individuals responsible for Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Fourth, innovation at scale.
Scalable innovation is a premium challenge for public and private sector researchers, alike. A central goal of our partners is to achieve repeatable and sustainable growth from new technology built upon core capabilities. This has been central to our success as we've expanded from rudimentary measurements in density and concentration to over 170 different analytical instruments.
To help research centers be more agile during increasingly turbulent times, we've made a significant investment in automation and robotics as well as achieved our goal in becoming a vertically integrated organization. Not only can we help customize instrumentation workflows to client needs, we can also provide superior value due to our state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities.
Fifth, people leading people.
We know that for science to develop the next stage of progression on our planet, humanity must first be able to lead each other.
Our number one goal upon delivery of Anton Paar instrumentation is to enable our clients to lead all of their stakeholders: the management team, their colleagues, and those who use their products and services. We are dedicated to helping our clients become the best in their fields at data acquisition, processing, and interpretation.
This is why behind every instrument is a team of talented people committed to offering lifetime applications support - a uniquely reliable assertion from an organization with a 100 year history.
Every manufacturer of analytical and laboratory instrumentation will have to invest in these five attributes in order to help solve the most important challenges facing industry, academia, and government research. They must be able to do so for different fields of study and must be ready to provide these capabilities today.
The next decade will depend on the scientific community achieving what some believe to be improbable or inconceivable. Most confidently, Anton Paar is prepared to do our part.