At PharmaTech & Labtech Expo 2026 in Gandhinagar, the conversation around modern laboratory infrastructure went beyond equipment and technology. One of the key voices sharing his perspective was Kabeer Sharma, Business Development Manager at Labofab, who spoke about how changing research requirements are influencing the way laboratories need to be designed.
From customised laboratory furniture and laboratory fume hoods to turnkey solutions and international standards, his insights highlighted one clear shift: modern R&D spaces can no longer be designed as fixed environments. They need to be built around the people using them, the work being performed, and the changes that may come next.
Kabeer’s perspective also reflects Labofab’s approach to laboratory infrastructure. Rather than treating every laboratory as the same, the focus is on understanding the user’s workflow and creating solutions around it. As he put it, “We customize because we care about users.”
But what does that approach actually look like in a modern laboratory?
The answer lies in four areas that are shaping the next generation of R&D workspaces: modularity, safety, integrated engineering, and manufacturing standards.
Designing Modular Laboratory Furniture Systems
One of the strongest points from Kabeer’s discussion was the importance of designing around the user. This becomes particularly relevant as research laboratories become more specialised and their requirements continue to change.
A laboratory may begin with a particular set of instruments and workflows, but those requirements rarely remain unchanged. New equipment can be introduced, teams can expand, testing procedures can evolve, and additional storage or workstations may become necessary. A rigid laboratory layout can make even relatively simple changes difficult.
This is where modular laboratory furniture offers a more adaptable approach.
Instead of treating benches, storage, workstations and utilities as permanently fixed elements, modular systems can be planned around the laboratory’s current workflow while allowing room for future adjustments. Components can be arranged according to equipment placement, researcher movement, storage requirements and the type of work being performed.
That flexibility is especially useful in R&D environments, where the laboratory itself needs to support experimentation and change.
Kabeer Sharma’s statement, “We customize because we care about users,” captures the thinking behind this approach. Customisation is not simply about making furniture look different from one laboratory to another. It is about understanding how researchers move through the space, what equipment they use, what they need within reach, and where practical difficulties may arise during everyday work.
For Labofab, this user-focused approach forms an important part of designing laboratory environments that can adapt rather than become outdated as requirements change.
Innovating Advanced Laboratory Fume Hoods
Another area highlighted during Kabeer’s interview was laboratory safety, particularly the role of advanced laboratory fume hoods in modern research environments.
A fume hood is not simply another workstation. It is an important engineering control used to help contain and remove hazardous or irritating airborne substances generated during laboratory procedures. Its effectiveness depends on several factors, including airflow, sash position, containment, installation, room conditions, and correct operation.
This makes fume hood design an important part of the overall laboratory environment.
During the Expo, Kabeer also discussed Labofab’s work in fume hood and scrubber systems, reflecting the growing focus on engineering solutions for laboratory safety and fume management.
Automation and advanced controls can, depending on the system, support more responsive operation. However, smarter equipment still needs sound engineering behind it. A sophisticated control system cannot compensate for an unsuitable installation, poor airflow planning, or incorrect laboratory design.
Labofab’s current product portfolio includes laboratory fume hoods designed around safety, ventilation and performance requirements, with options including bench-top, walk-in and low-bench fume hoods.
The company’s focus on laboratory infrastructure therefore extends beyond individual products. The larger objective is to create systems that work together within the laboratory environment.
Delivering Complete Turnkey Laboratory Solutions
Kabeer’s discussion also brings attention to an issue that is easy to overlook when planning a laboratory: the furniture is only one part of the project.
Behind every workstation are multiple interconnected systems. HVAC, electrical services, plumbing, gases, drainage, ventilation, safety equipment, storage, and equipment requirements all have to work together. When these elements are handled separately without sufficient coordination, problems can emerge during installation or, worse, after the laboratory becomes operational.
This is where turnkey laboratory solutions can provide a more integrated approach.
Instead of coordinating every element independently, a turnkey project brings the different stages of laboratory development under a connected planning and execution process. This can include initial space planning, laboratory furniture, utility coordination, safety systems, installation, and project-level engineering.
Labofab’s current turnkey offering covers end-to-end laboratory setup, including design, construction and installation, while its published project information also describes coordination across furniture, fume hoods, HVAC, utilities and safety systems.
The value becomes even clearer when different areas within the same facility have different requirements. An analytical laboratory may need a very different arrangement from a formulation area. A quality-control laboratory may have different equipment, storage, circulation, and safety considerations from an R&D workspace.
There is therefore no single laboratory layout that works for everyone.
This is also where Labofab’s emphasis on customization becomes relevant. The goal is not simply to install standard products into an empty room. The laboratory has to be understood as a working environment, with its furniture and infrastructure planned around the processes taking place inside it.
As pharmaceutical and research organisations continue investing in R&D capabilities, this integrated approach can help ensure that the infrastructure supports the scientific work rather than becoming a limitation to it.
Certified Laboratory Manufacturing Standards
Customization and innovation matter, but they need to be supported by something equally important: manufacturing quality and measurable standards.
For organisations evaluating a certified laboratory manufacturer and supplier, the conversation should go beyond how the finished furniture looks. Material selection, construction quality, chemical resistance, load performance, durability, testing, and applicable standards all deserve attention.
This is where recognised standards such as SEFA can provide an important reference point. Depending on the relevant product and applicable standard, SEFA standards provide benchmarks for laboratory furniture and equipment performance.
Labofab’s current official website identifies the company as SEFA certified for laboratory furniture, lab equipment and lab fume hoods, alongside ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications.
However, buyers should still look at the specific product, applicable standard, certification scope, and supporting documentation rather than assuming that every laboratory product has identical certification or testing status.
Kabeer also spoke about the importance Labofab places on international quality expectations, particularly when serving clients with requirements that extend beyond the domestic market. For a laboratory manufacturer, maintaining consistent quality is not simply about meeting a specification on paper. It is about ensuring that the product continues to perform in the demanding environment for which it was designed.
His perspective on quality was summed up by a principle he shared during the interview:
“Do not compromise. Fight for the best thing. Give quality, and you will automatically get quality clients.”
That philosophy connects the different points discussed throughout the Expo interview. Whether the focus is modular furniture, fume hood technology, turnkey execution, or manufacturing standards, the objective remains the same: build laboratory infrastructure around real requirements rather than forcing real work into a fixed solution.
The insights shared by Kabeer Sharma at PharmaTech & Labtech Expo 2026 reflect this changing approach to laboratory design.
From modular laboratory furniture and advanced fume hoods to integrated turnkey laboratory solutions, Labofab focuses on developing laboratory environments around the requirements of the people who use them.
Looking to build or upgrade your laboratory infrastructure?
Connect with Labofab’s engineering team to discuss your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What did Kabeer Sharma discuss at PharmaTech & Labtech Expo 2026?
Kabeer Sharma discussed Labofab’s approach to customised laboratory infrastructure, modular laboratory furniture, fume hood and scrubber systems, turnkey laboratory solutions, and the importance of manufacturing standards and quality.
Q2: Why is modular laboratory furniture important for modern R&D spaces?
R&D workflows can change as research processes, teams, instruments, and storage requirements evolve. Modular laboratory furniture provides greater flexibility to arrange and adapt workstations, storage, and other components around changing laboratory requirements.
Q3: What should laboratories consider when selecting a fume hood?
Important considerations include containment requirements, airflow, sash operation, materials, controls, installation conditions, maintenance, and applicable performance standards.
Q4: What are turnkey laboratory solutions?
Turnkey laboratory solutions bring multiple aspects of laboratory development—such as space planning, furniture, utilities, safety systems, installation, and engineering coordination—into an integrated project approach.
Q5: Why do laboratory standards matter?
Applicable laboratory standards provide reference points for evaluating aspects such as construction, chemical resistance and performance. Buyers should verify which specific standards, certifications, and testing documentation apply to the products they are considering.