CSL Limited Annual Report 2022/23 35 CSL’s R&D organisation is actively incorporating innovation into its infrastructure across global hubs for future readiness. Here are some examples of innovation within CSL’s Product Development teams: • Automation plays a vital role in our vision for the ‘Lab of The Future’. The initial focus is on automating scientific workflows within the laboratory environment to increase accuracy, enhance result reproducibility and improve efficiency by decoupling productivity from scientists. An automation platform including purification and analytical equipment is already deployed in Marburg and is planned for implementation at CSL Melbourne in 2023. Automation systems will enable us to increase productivity independent of the time allocated by our scientists. • CSL’s future of product development and clinical manufacturing lies in the adoption of model-based process development. In-silico models, representing the digital twins of physical assets, are used to simulate processes without undertaking ‘wet-lab’ experiments, significantly reducing the experimental burden, improving efficiency and accelerating progress towards clinical studies and the market. Continuous refinement of the models further enhances their effectiveness and through this, CSL seeks to bring about a transformative leap in our operational abilities. • CSL has introduced an innovative technology platform that aims to expedite the delivery of medicine to patients by providing a unified platform for connecting dispersed teams and locations, both internal and external, to accelerate the end-to-end drug product lifecycle. Given CSL’s geographic spread in R&D, this offers enormous potential for greater collaboration. When integrated with laboratory facilities, this advanced technology uses an augmented reality headset and a linked tablet, to offer immediate feedback, process instructions and real-time issue resolution within a pre-defined workflow. Currently, it is being used in the clinical manufacturing operations at CSL Melbourne to transition from paper-based records to a digital interface. • Scientists typically spend a significant amount of time handling samples and conducting experiments in person to make informed decisions. CSL and Monash University have initiated the AI Biochemist collaboration, which aims to enhance the efficiency of scientists by implementing an AI-guided, autonomous laboratory automation system. By integrating cutting-edge instruments with AI capabilities and robotic components, the project focuses on addressing the crucial task of providing a central ‘brain’ and command centre. By leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, we can automate laboratory operations making themmore efficient with the aim of expediting scientific discovery, enhancing research quality and ultimately developing improved treatments for patients.
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