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Conference Day Two | March 27, 2025

8:00 am Check In, Coffee & Light Breakfast

8:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Managing Financial Risks to Tackle Resource Allocation & Acquisition

9:00 am Maximising Financial Efficiency of Vendor Contracts & Agreements to Optimise Lab Operations

  • Shaun Rhodes Director, Supplier Relationships, Scientific Services, AstraZeneca

Synopsis

  • Identify characteristics of vendors that align with your organisational needs to ensure long-term reliability and stability
  • Learn effective negotiation strategies to secure favourable deals and pricing in vendor contracts such as flexible payment schedules
  • Focus on building collaborative relationships with vendors through open communication and regular performance reviews

9:30 am Our Ageing Lab Portfolio: Understanding Opportunities & Challenges in Laboratory Upgrade Projects

Synopsis

  • Develop a cost-benefit analysis of upgrading existing lab infrastructure vs investing into new build
  • Find consensus on how to best prioritise budget allocation
  • Address risks and limitations that come with maintaining older lab infrastructure

10:00 am Morning Refreshments & Networking

11:00 am Optimising Pathology Lab Resources: Leveraging Technology to Improve Efficiency & Address Workforce Shortages

Synopsis

  • Integrate technology in pathology labs to transform AI-driven diagnostics and enhance accuracy
  • Enhance data management with digital pathology platforms to streamline data sharing and improve diagnostic turnaround times
  • Reduce financial burdens on hospitals through optimal resource allocation including staff management

Pursuing Sustainable Decision-Making to Innovate Workplace Strategy

11:30 am Roundtable: Balancing Health & Safety Compliance with Asset Management & Financial Responsibility

Synopsis

This discursive 45-minute roundtable session aims to foster collaborative dialogues among you and your peers to share

experiences and develop actionable strategies for achieving a harmonious balance between health and safety compliance,

asset management, and financial responsibility.

  • Discuss the key health and safety regulations that impact asset management decisions to highlight the importance of compliance in protecting lab users and researchers
  • Perform cost-benefit analyses that justify investments in safety measures and equipment for long-term financial benefits
  • Share best practices for embedding health and safety considerations into asset management frameworks to ensure that compliance and operational efficiency go hand-in-hand

12:15 pm Enabling the Creation of a Cancer Research Ecosystem Through Sustainable Innovation in the Lab

  • Simon Francis Director, Estates & Facilities, Institute of Cancer Research

Synopsis

  • Dissect methods for improving space utilisation, productivity, and wellbeing in research facilities
  • Understand the benefits and challenges of My Green Lab and LEAF accreditations and the role they play in enabling science
  • Discover strategies for using sustainable practices to enable collaborative partnerships
  • Analyse the role of urban design and workplace design in enabling research ecosystems

12:45 pm Lunch & Networking

1:45 pm Innovating Physical Infrastructure & Systems to Facilitate Safe & Compliant R&D Lab Activities

Synopsis

  • Engineering lab spaces to optimise the arrangement of equipment and utilities through facility innovation
  • Ensuring that the facility meets safety and compliance guidelines through systems implementation
  • Conducting regular tests and evaluations of theoretical facility designs that can adhere to safe and compliant protocols

Demonstrating Value in People & Procedures to Accelerate Operational Success

2:15 pm Panel Discussion: Investing in Employees to Consolidate Their Operational Roles & Boost Retention Rates

  • Joanna Mitchell Head, Real Estate & Workplace Experience, Astellas Pharma
  • Martin Frohock Global Workplace Director, Abcam
  • Kat Szoda Vice President, Global Facilities Management & Real Estate, Teva Pharmaceuticals
  • Liz Kentish Managing Director, Kentish & Co.

Synopsis

In this dynamic 45-minute discussion, we will focus on what it means to make a long-term investment in our employees to establish their roles as operational leaders and enhance retention rates within lab environments. From ideal career trajectories to constantly evolving training programmes, this is your chance to hear from our experts that will help you drive long-term success in your organisation.

  • Evaluate what career paths should look like to encourage the next generation of lab operations teams
  • Assess the effectiveness of training programmes to develop talent using metrics and track employee progress in correlation with retention rates
  • Create opportunities to bridge the knowledge and expertise gap between researchers and operations teams to directly communicate each other’s needs and capacities

3:00 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

3:15 pm End of Conference Day 2