Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) was invented at roughly the same time by two quite dissimilar research groups [1,2]. FIA was patented by both groups in 1974; a year also marked by the publication of the first book on automatic chemical analysis [3]. This book was a major undertaking for its authors and it is hoped that it has added to the knowledge of those analysts attempting to automate their work or to increase the level of computerization/automation and thus reduce staffing commitments. This review discusses the role of FIA in laboratory automation, the advantages and disadvantages of the FIA approach, and the part it could play in future developments