A laboratory is a space dedicated to scientific research, experiments, and testing, as well as the manufacture of certain types of products. There is nothing in this definition that requires the laboratory environment to be controlled in any way. While a pharmaceutical manufacturer might have a highly controlled laboratory environment, a local high school might also have a lab, wherein students conduct experiments under no environmental controls.

When you are in the business of manufacturing, whether pharmaceuticals, food, beverage, or industrial products, quality is always a critical concern. When quality control is paramount, you must test products, and most of that testing likely occurs in a lab. Some products will even need to be manufactured in a laboratory setting. But usually, your laboratory is not the right environment to ensure quality in your manufacturing processes. If it is just a lab in name only, then it is not a true cleanroom.