ABSTRACT
The only certain prediction for the future of laboratory automation is that whatever is seen in the crystal ball at this moment in time is likely to be wildly wrong. One thing is sure, the role of automation will become increasingly important and it is therefore vital that analytical chemists rise to the challenge and take an active part in the definition of the regulatory requirements. The analytical chemist has for too long been the poor relation in the field of chemistry. Although the organic chemists, the biochemists or the physical chemists often get the praise, it is clearly the analytical chemist in the end who is left with the responsibility to provide the data and the measurements. Limits of detection and analytical requirements are often decided by legislators without reference to the analytical chemist, who is the only person who can decide if these limits and procedures are achievable and reliable. Automation has come a long way since the mid-1970s when Automatic Chemical Analysis was first written. Today’s system designers have often not been through the early days of development and frequently do not have a clear understanding of the analytical chemistry at the heart of the problems they are addressing.
