Bioprocess Technology Market

Market Overview

The global bioprocess technology market size was valued at USD 27.08 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 83.84 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.38% during the forecast period (2023–2031). The surging prevalence of chronic illnesses, the aging population demographics, the emergence of biosimilars, and biotechnology innovations are some factors driving the global demand for biologics. The growth in the demand for biologics further drives the global bioprocess technology market. Moreover, the increase in the usage of single-use bioprocess technologies owing to their advantages boosts the bioprocess technology market.

Bioprocess technology, or bioprocessing, is a scientific and engineering discipline that utilizes living cells, microorganisms, or biological systems to create, alter, or examine products. This technology is essential in diverse industries such as medicines, food and beverage, agriculture, and environmental management. Bioprocess technology has extensive uses. It serves to produce pharmaceuticals and vaccines within the pharmaceutical sector.

Within the food business, it can be utilized to manufacture enzymes, flavor compounds, and nutritional supplements. Bioprocessing is also employed in environmental contexts, including treating wastewater and manufacturing bio-based materials as substitutes for conventional petrochemical products. Bioprocess technology integrates principles from biology, microbiology, chemistry, and engineering to utilize the capacities of live organisms for diverse industrial processes.

Market Dynamics

Global Bioprocess Technology Market Drivers

Increasing Demand for Biologics 

Biologics refer to therapeutic substances from organisms or their constituents, including proteins, antibodies, vaccinations, and gene therapies. Biologics offer numerous advantages compared to traditional medications, including greater specificity, efficacy, safety, and reduced incidence of side effects. The worldwide biologics market had a value of USD 416.54 billion in 2022 and is projected to have a CAGR of around 9.2% from 2023 to 2030. Moreover, the increasing incidence of chronic illnesses propels the biologics market, the growing elderly population, the introduction of biosimilars, and advancements in biotechnology.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the main reason for death and disability worldwide. Every year, chronic illnesses cause the deaths of 41 million people globally, making up over 71% of all global fatalities. The utilization of bioprocess technology is crucial in the advancement, manufacturing, and refinement of biologics. Consequently, the escalating need for biologics is anticipated to stimulate the expansion of the bioprocess technology market.

Rising Adoption of Single-Use Bioprocess Technologies 

Single-use systems (SUS) are biopharmaceutical production apparatus designed for one-time usage or a single manufacturing campaign, after which they are discarded. Single-use bioprocessing technology is designed for the filtration, storage, cell culture, mixing, and purification of biopharmaceutical products used only once.

Single-use bioprocess technologies provide numerous advantages compared to conventional stainless steel systems, including reduced capital and operational expenses, less contamination risk, enhanced flexibility and scalability, and shorter turnaround time. The global market for single-use bioprocessing was estimated at USD 6.64 billion in 2022, as reported by Straits Research. It is projected to experience a CAGR of 16.59% from 2023 to 2031. The increasing utilization of disposable bioprocess technologies is anticipated to propel the expansion of the bioprocess technology market.

Global Bioprocess Technology Market Restraint

High Cost and Complexity of Bioprocess Technology

Bioprocess technology utilizes advanced machinery, tools, and software, along with highly trained individuals, to carry out various tasks, including cell culture, fermentation, separation, purification, and analysis of bioproducts. Strict compliance with quality standards, regulatory norms, and safety measures is essential in bioprocess technology to guarantee bioproducts' quality, effectiveness, and safety. The exorbitant expenses and intricate nature of bioprocess technology present substantial obstacles for market participants, particularly small and medium-sized firms, and could impede market expansion.

Global Bioprocess Technology Market Opportunities

Technological Advancements

The key participants in the market are concentrating on introducing novel products and advancing technology, consequently enhancing their market dominance. For instance, in November 2023, Repligen Corporation, a life sciences company specializing in bioprocessing technology, introduced TangenX® SC, the first Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) device in the industry that does not require a holder and is self-contained. The method is well-suited for biologics production, where closed systems are essential or optimal. This includes manufacturing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), viral vectors, nucleic acids, lipid nanoparticles, monoclonal antibodies, and recombinant protein production.

Additionally, in October 2023, WuXi Biologics, a global CRDMO, introduced a new bioprocessing platform called WuXiUI. This platform is an ultra-intensified, fed-batch solution that aims to improve the productivity and quality of various CHO or other mammalian cell lines and product modalities. WuXi Biologics has created WuXiUI, a solution that addresses the growing need for higher yields, lower costs, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in bioprocess development. This product provides worldwide clients with adaptable and economical bioprocessing solutions. These characteristics are expected to generate opportunities for market expansion.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global bioprocess technology market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global bioprocess technology market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. The global market is expected to be dominated by North America due to several factors. These include the considerable presence of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, widespread adoption of advanced bioprocess technologies, robust research and development activities, and favorable regional government policies and regulations. Moreover, the escalating investment in research and development of biopharmaceutical items directly leads to extensive use of single-use solutions. A survey conducted on September 2, 2020, by BDO USA, found that research and development (R&D) spending in the biopharmaceutical sector saw a significant growth of 22% between 2018 and 2019.

Similarly, the prominent stakeholders are pushing forward the development of bioprocessing technologies by introducing new products. In April 2023, the American company Cytiva announced the introduction of X-platform bioreactors, which aim to streamline single-use upstream bioprocessing procedures. The X-platform bioreactors, which come in 50 and 200 L capacities, are equipped with the Figurate automation solution software. These bioreactors can enhance process efficiency by implementing ergonomic enhancements, improving production capabilities, and simplifying supply chain operations.

Furthermore, the market experienced tremendous growth as a result of the escalating demand for biopharmaceuticals, primarily boosted by the surging prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and the expanding geriatric demographic. There is a growing number of xelderly people in the region who are especially prone to chronic diseases. As per a published in PubMed, the population of adults aged 50 years and over in the United States is estimated to grow by 61.11%, from 137.2 million in 2020 to 221.1 million in 2050. The anticipated number of adults aged 50 years and older with at least one chronic illness is expected to surge by 99.5%, from 72.522 million in 2020 to 145.66 million by 2050. Hence, each of these factors collectively leads to the expansion of the regional market. 

Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the most significant growth rate in the global bioprocess technology market. This is due to several factors, including the increasing occurrence of chronic diseases, the aging population, higher disposable income, greater awareness and acceptance of bioproducts, and the enhancement of healthcare infrastructure and facilities in the region. The region is seeing a growing incidence of illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and infectious diseases. This calls for the need for effective and timely diagnosis and treatment. The WHO South-East Asia Region recorded roughly 2.2 million new cases of cancer and 1.4 million cancer-related deaths in 2020. These fatalities were more than 10% of the overall mortality rate in the area. The presence of these characteristics creates a significant need for biosimilars utilized in the treatment of various disorders, thus propelling the growth of the bioprocess technology market in the region.

Moreover, the growing emphasis on research activities and substantial investment in research and development in the area is leading to a higher adoption of single-use technologies for the production of biopharmaceuticals. China, Japan, South Korea, and India are significantly ramping up their investments in R&D initiatives within the biotechnology sector. China is consistently increasing its investment in research and development, with a growth rate of 12.5% compared to 2018, reaching a total expenditure of USD 275 billion. China allocated around USD 322 billion to internal R&D activities in 2019, whereas Japan's R&D spending amounted to USD 158 billion. As a result, these factors are expected to enhance the regional market's growth.

Segmental Analysis

The global bioprocess technology market is bifurcated into product type, application, and end-user.

Based on product type, the global bioprocess technology market is segmented into biologics safety testing, cell culture, cell line development, cell expansion, flow cytometry, tangential flow filtration, and others. 

Flow cytometry is a robust methodology employed in biology and medicine to examine and quantify cells or particles' physical and chemical attributes in a liquid medium as they traverse a laser beam. It is extensively utilized in many disciplines, such as immunology, hematology, cancer, microbiology, and pharmacology. The fundamental concept of flow cytometry entails the immersion of cells or particles in a liquid medium and their subsequent passage through a flow cytometer apparatus.

Light is scattered and fluorescence is released as each particle passes through the laser beam. The instrument's detectors gauge the magnitude of scattered light and fluorescence, yielding data on the diverse characteristics of the particles. Flow cytometry is advantageous because it can efficiently examine a high volume of cells and offer comprehensive data regarding their characteristics. It has become a vital tool in both basic research and clinical diagnostics.

Based on application, the global bioprocess technology market is segmented into antibiotics, biosimilars, recombinant proteins, and others. 

Recombinant proteins, generated using recombinant DNA technology, have proven indispensable in fundamental scientific investigations and medical diagnostic procedures. This process entails combining genes from several origins, often different species, and their insertion into a recipient organism, such as bacteria, yeast, or mammalian cells, to generate the targeted protein. The fundamental procedure entails extracting the gene responsible for encoding a particular protein, incorporating it into a vector (often a plasmid or viral vector), and subsequently introducing this construct into the cells of a host organism. Thereafter, the host organism uses its cellular apparatus to transcribe and translate the introduced gene, yielding the intended protein. Recombinant proteins possess diverse uses in biotechnology, medicine, and research. They are used to manufacture medicinal proteins (like insulin and growth hormones), vaccines, enzymes, and other biopharmaceuticals.

Based on end-users, the global bioprocess technology market is bifurcated into biopharmaceutical companies, contract manufacturing organizations, the food and feed industry, academic research institutes, contract research organizations, and others. 

The biopharmaceutical companies segment dominates the global market. Biopharmaceutical companies specialize in developing and manufacturing biopharmaceutical medications. Biopharmaceuticals, or biologics, are therapeutic compounds from biological sources such as living organisms, cells, or biological systems. These medications differ from conventional pharmaceuticals, often produced through chemical synthesis. Biopharmaceuticals encompass various medicines, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccinations, gene therapies, and recombinant proteins. They are frequently employed to manage several medical ailments, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and genetic disorders. The substantial production and consumption of bioproducts by these companies are fueling the expansion of this segment in the global market.

Recent Developments

• October 2023- Nirrin Technologies, a company specializing in developing analytical systems for downstream bioprocessing operations, presented three innovative applications in poster presentations at the BioProcess International conference in Boston. These applications include buffer verification, UF/DF endpoint detection, and dilution-free protein quantitation, all of which can be performed at-line or in-line.
• January 2024- Dotmatics, a prominent firm specializing in scientific software for research and development, revealed its acquisition of M-Star. M-Star is a well-known company based near Baltimore, Maryland, specializing in CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software. The inclusion of M-Star presents further prospects for advancement in the bioprocessing industry, particularly in the production of cell and gene treatments within the field of life sciences research and development.