In Palworld 1.0, the research station is the Pal Research Station: build it from the Technology menu, choose one work-type research node, then assign Pals with the matching Work Suitability to complete permanent base-efficiency upgrades.
The Pal Labor Research Laboratory is easy to build, but the game will not push research forward just because the structure exists. You need an active node, the right kind of Pal working on it, and enough materials for the upgrade you picked.
Most slow research problems come from base Pals wandering away to ordinary jobs. Once you understand that the lab is tied to Work Suitability, it becomes a base-efficiency system you can steer instead of waiting on base AI.
- What the Pal Labor Research Laboratory does
- Build the lab and start a research node
- Assign matching Pals so research progresses
- How lab queues and finished bonuses work
- Research paths to prioritize for each base goal
- Where to get Ancient Pal Manuscripts and lab materials
- Fix stalled or slow lab research
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Pal Labor Research Laboratory does
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Structure name | Pal Labor Research Laboratory |
| Unlock level | Check the current in-game Technology menu |
| Technology cost | 2 Technology Points |
| Build cost | 10 Ingots and 10 Paldium Fragments |
| Main function | Research Lab work-task bonuses for base jobs |
| Active research behavior | One active research project is shared by your labs |
The Pal Labor Research Laboratory is a base structure for improving Pal work tasks. It researches labor bonuses tied to work categories such as Handiwork, Mining, Kindling, Watering, Planting, Generating Electricity, Lumbering, Cooling, Medicine Production, Transporting, Farming, and Gathering.
KEY!This is not a weapon bench or a shortcut for normal crafting recipes. Use it when you want your bases to craft faster, produce more, consume fewer materials, store or use power better, preserve food longer, improve expeditions, or strengthen Pals fighting as base workers.
Build the lab and start a research node
- Unlock the lab: Open the Technology menu and spend 2 Technology Points on the Pal Labor Research Laboratory.
- Place it in a base: Build it with 10 Ingots and 10 Paldium Fragments in a spot your Pals can reach cleanly.
- Choose a work category: Pick the subject you want to improve, such as Handiwork, Mining, or Kindling.
- Select an available node: Start with an unlocked node in that subject’s tree, since deeper nodes require the earlier connected nodes before them.
- Check the requirements: Make sure you have the listed materials and any prerequisite node completed before starting.
- Begin the project: Confirm the node so it becomes the lab’s active research target.
Assign matching Pals so research progresses
- Match the Pal to the node: Use a Pal whose Work Suitability matches the research subject, such as a Handiwork Pal for Handiwork research.
- Try direct base assignment: Pick up a suitable base Pal and throw it at the lab to make it take the research job.
- Use the Monitoring Stand: Set suitable workers to focus on research when you want them to stay on the lab instead of rotating through normal base tasks.
- Clear competing jobs: Pause or empty same-suitability stations if your worker keeps leaving for a bench, furnace, crusher, farm, or other active job.
- Force it with a party Pal: Put a suitable Pal in your party, summon it next to the lab, and let it work on the active project.
- Stay near manual research: A summoned party Pal can stop if you move too far away, so handle nearby base chores while it pushes the bar.
Use a party Pal to force slow research: summon a Pal with the matching Work Suitability beside the lab, then stay nearby until the node finishes.
How lab queues and finished bonuses work
Every Pal Labor Research Laboratory points at the same active project. Extra labs do not let one base research Handiwork while another researches Mining; their main use is giving more suitable workers a place to contribute to the same node.
KEY!When a node finishes, its bonus applies automatically. Plan around completed labor research benefiting your bases broadly, but keep at least one lab standing while you are still working through the tree so you can immediately pick the next project.
Research paths to prioritize for each base goal
| Research focus | Best first when |
|---|---|
| Handiwork | You craft ammunition, spheres, Pal gear, armor, weapons, or want material reductions. |
| Mining | Your base depends on resource throughput or crude oil extraction speed. |
| Kindling | You rely on cooking, ingots, cakes, or egg hatching speed. |
| Planting and Watering | Your bottleneck is crop growth, harvest yield, or farm production. |
| Generating Electricity | Your powered base needs more storage capacity and lower power consumption. |
| Cooling | Food decay or egg hatching speed is costing too much time. |
| Medicine Production | Several working bases are burning through medicine upkeep. |
| Lumbering and Mining expedition bonuses | You want shorter expedition times or better expedition rewards. |
| Base attack and defense | You use raid-base Pals and want stronger base combat stats. |
Start with the research subject that removes your current bottleneck. A crafting base gets more from Handiwork, while a resource base usually wants Mining first; food and breeding setups lean harder on Kindling, Planting, Watering, and Cooling.
The attack and defense bonuses are not the first reason to open the lab, but they become valuable when you build a base around raid fights. For day-to-day automation, prioritize the node tree that feeds your most active base loop.
Where to get Ancient Pal Manuscripts and lab materials
Later research becomes gated by Ancient Pal Manuscripts and related materials. The Pal Expedition Station is a major repeat source once you have access to it; check the in-game Technology menu for its current unlock tier instead of relying on a fixed level.
Run expeditions that list Ancient Pal Manuscripts and Ancient Civilization Cores in their rewards, then use stronger squads to shorten the cycle. Manuscripts also come from turning in bounty tokens earned from marked bounty bosses.
For Ancient Civilization Parts and Ancient Civilization Cores, use expeditions, raid bosses, and oil rig runs where those rewards are available. Save these materials for meaningful nodes rather than spending them as soon as one upgrade lights up.
Fix stalled or slow lab research
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| No active node selected | Open the lab, choose a Research Subject, select an available node, and start it. |
| Wrong Work Suitability | Swap in a Pal whose suitability matches the research subject. |
| Pal leaves for another station | Use the Monitoring Stand, throw it back at the lab, or clear competing same-suitability jobs. |
| Prerequisite node missing | Complete the earlier connected node before choosing the deeper one. |
| Required materials missing | Bring the listed materials, especially Ancient Pal Manuscripts for later nodes. |
| Lab placement issue | Move the structure to open base space with a clear path around it. |
| Party Pal stops working | Summon it beside the lab again and stay close enough for manual work to continue. |
| Extra labs seem idle | Use them as extra work spots for the shared project, not separate queues. |
Most lab stalls are assignment problems, not broken research. If the node is active, the Pal matches the subject, and the structure is reachable, reduce distractions until the worker stays on the lab long enough to finish the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a Pal Labor Research Laboratory at every base?
No. Use one base as your research hub, then bring workers to that base when you want faster progress.
Can multiple labs research different upgrades at once?
No. Multiple labs are for adding worker capacity to the active project, not for running separate research trees.
Why are my Pals ignoring the research station?
They usually have another job with the same Work Suitability available, so the base AI sends them there. Lock their focus or use a party Pal when you need immediate progress.
Can you destroy the lab after finishing research?
Completed bonuses continue after the node finishes, and player testing has found them remaining after demolishing the structure. Keep one lab until you are done picking new nodes.
Where do Ancient Pal Manuscripts come from?
Use Pal Expedition Station runs and bounty-token turn-ins from marked bounty bosses. Stockpile them before pushing deeper research trees.
More questions⤵
Do base attack and defense research bonuses help party Pals or only base Pals?
They are for Pals fighting as base Pals, which is why they matter most in raid bases. Do not build your party damage plan around those bonuses.
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