On 3 December we hosted an event focused on one of the most strategic topics for the healthcare sector: “Robots for Testing in Pharma and Biomedical”, organized together with NI – National Instruments and Astra Research.
In the heart of the Mirandola biomedical district, companies, researchers and technology partners discussed a key question: how to make testing processes more reliable, repeatable and compliant with international standards, leveraging robotics, machine vision and advanced measurement systems.
Why talk about testing today?
The event opened with Francesco Blumetti, CEO of IDEATIVA, who highlighted the ongoing transformation in the biomedical sector:
“We are in a phase where innovation and regulation must move forward together: automation allows us to build testing processes that are more robust, faster and controllable, improving device quality and patient safety.”
Manual testing—hard to standardize and difficult to repeat consistently—is no longer enough. What is needed are processes that ensure precision, traceability and operational continuity.
Robotics and automation: the bridge to compliance
Next, Matteo Tagliavini, R&D Programmer at IDEATIVA, showed how robotics is becoming essential to improve quality and repeatability in biomedical testing:
“Integrating robotics into testing processes means turning repetitive or complex activities into precise and consistent sequences, reducing variability and increasing the level of control required by regulations.”
Examples presented included:
- automated mechanical tests
- robotic simulations of human interaction with devices
- high-repeatability test cycles
- machine vision applications supporting quality control
Approaches that help biomedical companies reduce errors, strengthen process robustness and speed up validation activities.
Mirandola: a global excellence hub for biomedical
In her keynote, Irene Vetrò, Bio-Robotic Engineer, emphasized the strategic value of the territory:
“Mirandola is a unique ecosystem where industry, technical expertise and research converge to create high-impact innovation. It is one of the few places in the world where you can see the entire biomedical value chain working in synergy.”
A district that not only produces medical technologies, but also continuously fuels experimentation, advanced training and solutions that reach international markets.
Automation and measurement: reducing variability, increasing reliability
Andrea Riva (NI – National Instruments) explained why a well-designed measurement architecture is critical in validation processes:
“Standardizing processes and relying on automated systems means drastically reducing uncertainty and generating more reliable results—essential to certify critical products such as biomedical devices.”
Afterwards, Matteo Rampado from MeasureIT focused on data quality:
“A properly designed measurement chain does not simply record values; it directly supports design and production decisions. In biomedical, data quality is an integral part of device quality.”
The presentations showed solutions where hardware, software and robotics work together, generating testing workflows that are scalable, repeatable and fully traceable.
Success stories from advanced testing
Samuele Martino from Astra Research® shared real examples of testing for single-use medical devices:
“To validate a device correctly, it is not enough to verify that it works. You must evaluate its behavior over time, the interaction with the user and the response in real conditions of use.”
This approach requires:
- controlled stress tests
- safety and usability analyses
- automated systems to ensure repeatability and data reliability
An event that builds connections
The day ended with a round table and a networking session involving R&D Managers, Quality Engineers, lab managers and professionals from the local ecosystem.
The final message shared by participants captured the spirit of the initiative:
“Innovation in testing processes can become a growth driver for the entire sector: those who integrate new technologies into validation methods will be ready to face the challenges of the coming years.”