Akram Azmy

Tell us about your expertise in the laboratory sector with a brief about your organisation, its initiatives, and the journey to date.

Beckman Coulter is a leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions for the laboratory sector in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. With a strong focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, the company has established itself as a trusted partner for laboratories. As part of Danaher Corporation, Beckman Coulter leverages the expertise and resources of a global conglomerate to deliver cutting-edge solutions and support to its customers. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of analyzers, reagents, and services that enable laboratories to improve efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.

Beckman Coulter MEA works closely with its customers in the region to understand their needs, and then design customized solutions to meet their specific needs. Alongside, the company provides comprehensive trainings and ongoing support to ensure the successful implementation and operation of its products. Beckman Coulter MEA has been actively involved in supporting continuous education and knowledge sharing among laboratory professionals. The company has established a state-of-the-art training institute in the region, “The Dubai Vision Center” that regularly provides scientific symposia, hands-on workshops & healthcare leadership programs. These activities facilitate the sharing of best practices and the latest advancements in laboratory diagnostics. The journey of Beckman Coulter in the Middle East & Africa has been marked by introducing the latest technologies in laboratory science, supply of high-quality products, a strong commitment to customer satisfaction, and continuous investment in training & education.

In your opinion, what areas in the laboratory sector are expected to evolve and what role is your organisation expected to play?

In the laboratory sector, several areas are expected to evolve in the coming years, driven by advancements in technology and the increasing demand for more efficient and accurate diagnostic solutions. Some of these areas include:

• Automation and Robotics: Laboratories are increasingly adopting automation and robotics to streamline workflows, minimize manual errors, and improve productivity. One of the major focus strategies of Beckman Coulter is “early diagnosis and precision medicine.” This would make it possible to precisely treat symptoms and identify their underlying causes. Our future technologies focus on helping healthcare providers to diagnose diseases with unprecedented speed and precision.
• Digitalization and Data Management: The growing volume of data generated by laboratories necessitates robust data management solutions. Beckman Coulter will continue to develop and enhance its laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and data management solutions to help laboratories effectively handle and analyze large amounts of data, improve data integrity, and enable seamless integration with other laboratory systems.

Give us an insight into your portfolio and solutions targeted at the Middle East region.

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions targeting the Middle East & Africa regions and catering to the diverse needs of laboratories. Here are some key areas of their portfolio:

• Chemistry and Immunoassay Systems: Beckman Coulter provides a range of chemistry and immunoassay systems that enable laboratories to perform a wide range of diagnostic tests. We have recently launched the DxI 9000 analyzer that provides a comprehensive range of Immunoassay & Serology testing. The new analyzer addresses large volume laboratory needs for speed, accuracy, and reliability, allowing those laboratories to get actionable results back quicker to clinicians and ultimately address the ultimate patients’ treatment options.” We have more launches in the pipeline that we are planning to reveal during Medlab 2024. Stay tuned!
• Hematology Systems: Beckman Coulter's hematology systems provide a comprehensive analysis of blood samples, including complete blood counts, differential white blood cell counts, and other parameters. These systems offer high accuracy and precision, helping laboratories in the Middle East region to deliver accurate diagnoses and advance patients' health.
• Microbiology Solutions: Beckman Coulter offers a range of microbiology solutions, including automated blood culture systems, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and rapid identification systems.
• Automation Solutions: Beckman Coulter offers 2 automation solutions, being the DxA 5000 for high-volume laboratories & the DxA 5000 FIT for mid-size volume laboratories that streamline workflows & enhance productivity in the current busy laboratory world.

Our commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction makes us a trusted partner for laboratories seeking advanced diagnostic solutions.

Tell us about your recent and upcoming investments and partnerships.

In recent years, Beckman Coulter has undergone various transformations to enhance its value proposition to serve the healthcare sector. These efforts aimed at ensuring the delivery of accurate and timely diagnostic solutions while improving the overall patient care in the MEA region.

Beckman Coulter Value Proposition is designed to address the evolving needs of modern laboratories. We have embraced more than 36 advanced automation systems in the region, that helped to streamline laboratory workflows, improve efficiency, and increase productivity. Our 2^nd pillar of the Value Proposition is delivering “technical training programs”, rigorous “quality control measures”, and running “quality programs” on safety and accreditation, to ensure compliance with standards and promote continuous improvements. A commitment that we are flawlessly executing whether locally or via programs established at our Vision Center. This allowed us a trust partnership with the esteemed Saudi Arabia MOH and led to signing a collaboration MOU with the MoH during the last Global Health exhibition.

At the heart of everything we do, as a Danaher operating company, is our commitment to our sustainability program. Our customers share interests in efforts and actions taken by Beckman Coulter to improve Diversity, Equity + Inclusion, and are concerned with how much CO₂ their laboratories generate, potential risks and how to keep the environment protected.

On a global level, Beckman Coulter Acquired “StoCastic” a leading artificial intelligence company that provides evidence-based decision support for hospital emergency departments (ED). StoCastic’s TriageGo will be a cornerstone of Beckman Coulter’s artificial intelligence (AI) enabled Clinical Decision Support (CDS) portfolio, a growing field that aims to further improve patient care by leveraging data-driven insights to clinicians and optimize clinical decision-making.

What can visitors expect to see at your booth in Medlab Middle East 2024? What opportunities are you looking forward to?

Medlab 2024 visitors can expect to see our latest range of innovative diagnostic solutions and technologies. They will have the opportunity to interact with Beckman Coulter's latest analyzers, see live demonstrations, and engage in discussions with Beckman Coulter representatives to understand how their solutions can meet the specific needs of their laboratories.

Additionally, Beckman Coulter will present its advancements in the Chemistry and Immunoassay solutions. Attending Medlab Middle East provides an opportunity for visitors to network with industry experts, exchange knowledge, and gain insights into the latest trends and advancements in the laboratory sector.

Please tell us about your plans for the year 2024.

Beckman Coulter MEA is planning to continue delivering on our mission of “Relentlessly reimagining Healthcare, one Diagnosis at a time” and moving the needle forward by deploying the right strategies in our market, engaging with key stakeholders to advance and transform the diagnostics solutions and serve our patients’ communities better.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I want to thank Medlab organizers for partnering with Laboratory manufacturers in their commitment to Innovation. Medlab 2024 promises to be the right exhibition to display our cutting-edge technologies in one place that gathers worldwide laboratory experts from the globe.