LabWare 2026 Asia Pacific CEC: Where Labs, Technology & People Connect

The LabWare 2026 Asia Pacific Customer Education Conference (CEC) took place on 18–21 August 2026 in Cairns, Australia, bringing together customers, partners, and laboratory professionals from across the Asia Pacific region for three days of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and connection. 

From customer success stories and technical training to industry insights and community activities, the conference explored how LabWare LIMS, ELN, laboratory informatics, and digital transformation initiatives are helping laboratories become more connected, efficient, and data-driven.

At the opening ceremony, Kyle Kershner, Co-CEO of LabWare, welcomed attendees and captured the spirit of the event: 

“What sets LabWare apart is the community behind it. You aren't just customers, you are collaborators.” 

That sense of collaboration was at the heart of CEC 2026 — bringing together the people, technology and real-world experiences that continue to shape the laboratory community across APAC.

Customer Success Stories: How Laboratories Use LabWare LIMS & ELN  

This year’s customer presentations showcased a diverse range of LIMS and ELN applications:

• Covalent Lithium — Felicity Mortley shared how LabWare was configured to manage sample chain of custody across multiple users and locations, using visual workflows, access controls, barcodes and labels to support end-to-end traceability.
• Daiichi Sankyo Japan — Shared their laboratory journey and demonstrated how LIMS and ELN support quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
• BCI Minerals — Jamie Feerick provided insights into laboratory operations supporting the Mardie Salt and Potash Solar Evaporation Project, highlighting the role laboratories play in large-scale resource projects.
• RCPAQAP — Derek Holzhauser demonstrated how Cluster Manager supports high-volume proficiency testing, helping laboratories manage scale and operational efficiency.
• Cairns Regional Council — Fletcher Johns presented how LabWare ELN supports Legionella analysis as part of their microbiological testing program, offering a practical example of digital workflows supporting compliance-ready water testing.

Collectively, these presentations demonstrated the flexibility of LabWare solutions across mining, pharmaceutical, environmental, water, and proficiency testing laboratories.

LabWare 9, ELN & Modern Lab Execution Highlights

CEC 2026 also gave attendees the opportunity to deepen their technical knowledge through training sessions, breakout sessions and Tech Talks.

Attendees received updates on LabWare 9 capabilities, including enhanced user experience, modern workflow execution, improved data management tools, and capabilities designed to help laboratories accelerate digital transformation initiatives.

Industry updates covered a range of sectors, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical laboratories, contract laboratories, environmental and water testing, and process industries.

With laboratories facing increasing demands around data integrity, connectivity and operational efficiency, these sessions provided practical insights that attendees could take back to their own organizations.

Making an Impact Beyond the Laboratory: Sustainability, Community & Collaboration

2026 AP CEC also provided an opportunity to support the wider community and environment.

LabWare Asia Pacific was proud to support the Great Barrier Reef Foundation through a AU$10,000 donation towards its conservation efforts. Attendees also heard from Katrina Beattie, Director of Traditional Owner Partnerships, about the Foundation’s work to protect and restore the Great Barrier Reef.

It was a meaningful reminder that innovation is not only about advancing laboratory operations, but also about making a positive impact on the communities and environments around us.

The conference also welcomed the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA), bringing together members of the laboratory ecosystem to connect around accreditation, data integrity, traceability and digital transformation.

Building the APAC Laboratory Community

While technology and learning were central to CEC, the 2026 event also created new ways for attendees to connect beyond the conference sessions.

The Fun Run/Walk gave participants an opportunity to start the day with some movement, fresh air and views of the Cairns coastline.

After another full day of learning, the “Knowing Me, Knowing You” activity during the dinner added a fun and personal element to the evening, encouraging customers, partners and colleagues to connect and get to know one another beyond their professional roles.

The conference also ended on a high note with Have You Been Paying Attention? (HYBPA) — a friendly competition that tested how closely attendees had been following the sessions throughout CEC. Congratulations to our customer winner!

These activities added another dimension to the CEC experience, reinforcing that a strong laboratory community is built not only through knowledge sharing, but also through genuine relationships.

Customers, partners, and LabWare team members connected throughout the week during networking activities and social events. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of the APAC Laboratory Community

Three days. Countless conversations. One incredible LabWare community.

Discover how organizations around the world use LabWare to connect instruments, automate workflows, and create a single source of truth for laboratory data.

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