Single-Use Bioprocessing Probes & Sensors Market

Market Overview

The global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market size was valued at USD 2.14 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach an expected value of USD 6.97 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 14% over the forecast period (2022-2030).

The adoption of single-use bioprocessing equipment is gradually gaining momentum in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The growing demand for biopharmaceuticals is consequently driving the need for single-use systems. With the increase in the adoption of single-use systems, biopharmaceutical manufacturers are demanding robust and innovative single-use probes and sensors that would help fulfill the requirements of effective monitoring of various parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and others, throughout the bioprocessing process.

Market Dynamics

Global Single-Use Bioprocessing Probes & Sensors Market Drivers

Increasing Adoption of Single-Use Technology (SUT) For Bioproduction

The production of biologics, biosimilars, and other biopharmaceutical products is increasingly using single-use technologies in the biopharmaceutical sector. Manufacturers desire to integrate single-use machinery into their production workflow as the need to lower manufacturing costs grows. Single-use equipment provides benefits such as enhanced flexibility with accelerated development and marketing of biopharmaceutical products. Owing to these benefits, biopharmaceutical manufacturers are switching to using single-use technology to meet the growing demand for biopharmaceutical products. These manufacturers are benefited from reduced overall contamination rates, lower costs, and improved production efficiency. In addition, single-use technology allows continuous manufacturing and significantly reduces production turnaround time. As single-use equipment require suitable single-use sensors for accurate measurement of crucial parameters, the demand for such disposable/single-use sensors is anticipated to exhibit lucrative growth in coming years. Thus, expanding the single-use bioprocessing market will likely drive the demand for single-use probes and sensors over the forecast period. Most bioprocessing facilities employ various disposable products, contributing to revenue growth of the single-use probes and sensors market.

Rising Demand for Improved Bioprocess Monitoring

Another factor boosting the market for single-use probes and sensors is the increasing demand for better bioprocess monitoring devices. The expanding biopharmaceutical industry needs sophisticated sensors to comply with regulatory standards that call for ever-more-complex and detailed measurements of processes. Despite the increasing implementation of single-use systems by biopharmaceutical manufacturers, the quality of sensors is not as per the requirements. Thus, the demand for improved sensors that provide enhanced results is also rising.

According to the Survey of Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Capacity and Production, participants focus more on developing disposable probes and sensors. This segment was the most cited by the participants. Demand for disposable pH and dissolved oxygen sensors has increased. This can be attributed to improved analytical methods and process monitoring and control assays. Improved sensors facilitate process analytical technology and process quantification.

Furthermore, single-use sensors open new opportunities to leverage the benefits of a use-and-toss monitoring model. However, manufacturers focus on overcoming sensor issues related to robustness, performance, and suitability, thereby driving the market.

Global Single-Use Bioprocessing Probes & Sensors Market Restraint

Environmental Concerns

Environmental concerns related to safe disposables are roadblocks to market growth. End users face challenges in addressing the issues associated with single-use bioprocessing sensors. As the glass-electrode probes/standard glass electrochemical sensors are reusable, there is no environmental concern related to their use. However, with the increasing implementation of single-use technologies, the safe disposal of single-use products is becoming a growing need. Although the proportion of disposable plastic produced through bioprocessing operations is deficient, the issue may impede the adoption of single-use probes and sensors in the market. Moreover, increasing the use of single-use systems may generate additional solid waste, adding to environmental concerns.

Global Single-Use Bioprocessing Probes & Sensors Market Opportunities

Development of New Bioprocessing Sensors

Developing new bioprocessing sensors for bioprocess monitoring is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities in the global single-use probes and sensors market. The currently available single-use probes and sensors are facing challenges in their implementation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. In addition, these sensors have applications in a limited number of relatively few basic analytes. Thus, the need for advancements in this space is increasing, creating opportunities for companies to enter this market. Although single-use sensors are being improved, there is scope for more advancements in this space to meet the process requirements and end-user demand. Such opportunities are expected to provide a competitive advantage to suppliers. Some potential opportunities for improvements include:

• Connectivity
• Standard interfaces
• Accuracy and reproducibility
• Mechanical durability
• Pre-calibration within situ recalibration
• Options for sterilization

Commercially available single-use sensors, such as flow, pressure, and cell density, are commonly used in research and development. However, there is scope for more improvements in these products, which are expected to support biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Such factors create opportunities for global players to enter the market. 

Regional Analysis

By Region, the global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market is segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa. 

North America dominated the single-use probes and sensors market and is estimated to register a CAGR of 13.3% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increasing adoption of new technologies, such as Single-use Technology (SUT), coupled with significant biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. In addition, the expanding applications of disposables at biomanufacturing plants by various companies, including in-house and CMOS, are contributing significantly to the revenue growth of this region. In January 2020, 3i Group announced the establishment of a single-use bioprocessing facility through the acquisition of Silicone Altimex, Cellon, and TBL Performance Plastics to serve the North American market. In January 2018, Abzena collaborated with Sartorius Stedim Biotech to install single-use manufacturing systems at San Diego and Bristol facilities. Increasing investment in single-use technology by companies is expected to propel the market in the region further. For instance, in June 2019, Thermo Fisher Scientific invested USD 50 million in bioproduction capabilities to further scale up its single-use manufacturing systems in Logan, U.S. Chicago-headquartered GE Healthcare has made numerous investments in single-use technologies. In 2016, the company expanded its manufacturing capacity in Westborough, MA, with an acquisition of USD 7 million. Such initiatives are expected to positively impact North America's revenue generation, leading to its leading market share.

Asia Pacific is the second largest region. It is estimated to reach an expected USD 2700 million by 2030 at a CAGR of 16.2%. Asia Pacific is anticipated to show significant growth in the single-use probes and sensors market. This can be attributed to the broad reach of biotechnology and increasing technological innovations in the region. In addition, expanding application of single-use technologies in biopharmaceuticals, growing adoption of disposables in biomanufacturing, and cost-effectiveness of disposable products are anticipated to impact the market's revenue generation in the region positively. Furthermore, the region's increasing biopharmaceutical and biotechnology sector is anticipated to accelerate the adoption of single-use technologies, leading to increasing demand for single-use probes and sensors. Moreover, in October 2019, the Australian Federal Government invested USD 35 million in the country's biomanufacturing sector to develop biological systems to produce commercial products. Such government initiatives are expected to boost the adoption of single-use sensors in biomanufacturing.

Europe is the third largest region. Europe was ranked second, after North America, in terms of revenue generation in 2019. The increasing adoption of disposables in the biopharmaceutical industry, technological developments in bioprocessing systems, and high healthcare spending are expected to contribute to market growth in Europe. The expansion of biopharmaceutical businesses by global companies and the upgrading of manufacturing facilities by CDMOs are anticipated to drive the market further. For instance, in November 2019, AGC, Inc. expanded its biopharmaceutical production by installing a purification line in the Copenhagen facility. In March 2020, WuXi Biologics completed the construction of a large-scale commercial manufacturing facility in Ireland. This facility is equipped with single-use bioreactors. In September 2017, Swiss CDMO Celonic AG implemented MilliporeSigma's Mobius single-use bioreactors. Thus, the increasing implementation of single-use technologies is expected to propel the adoption & demand for single-use probes and sensors in the region. The key companies operating in the region are Sartorius Stedim Biotech; Equflow; Vekamaf Services B.V.; PreSens Precision Sensing GmbH; and Optek-Danulat, Inc., which are contributing significantly to the market's revenue generation in the region.

Segmental Analysis

The global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market is segmented by type, workflow, end use, and region.

By Sensor Type, the global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market is segmented into pH sensors, pressure sensors, oxygen sensors, temperature sensors, conductivity sensors, flow meters & sensors, among others. The pH sensor segment dominated the market share and is estimated to register a CAGR of 15.3% during the forecast period. Due to expanding biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, single-use bioreactors have been in high demand in recent years. Owing to this, the need for single-use pH sensors is also anticipated to increase. Optical sensors are considered the most commonly used/standard devices for pH measuring. This can be attributed to features of these sensors, such as contactless measurement or minimal invasion, pre-calibration, easy integration with SUBs, and high accuracy. Furthermore, Sartorius Stedim Biotech and Metroglas have developed a single-use gamma-stable electrochemical pH probe. However, using gamma stable, low drift, and easy-to-integrate single-use pH sensors is limited in the biopharmaceutical industry.

By Workflow, the global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market is segmented into upstream and downstream. The upstream segment accounted for the largest market share and is estimated to register a CAGR of 14.4% during the forecast period. Various single-use systems are available for upstream bioprocessing applications. With the development of several disposable products for upstream processing, the demand for single-use probes and sensors is also anticipated to increase in the coming years. Probes and sensors are crucial in monitoring all Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) during cell culture in a bioreactor. The sensors used in upstream bioprocessing are either online or offline. Online sensors are further divided into in-line and at-line sensors. These sensors provide advantages such as eliminating the risk of cross-contamination and accurate monitoring of parameters, leading to enhanced productivity.

By End-Use, the global single-use bioprocessing probes & sensors market is segmented into biopharmaceutical manufacturers (CMOS & CROs, In-house manufacturers), labs & academic/ clinical research institutes. The biopharmaceutical manufacturer segment accounted for the largest market share and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.4% during the forecast period. The growth of continuous bioprocessing coupled with the advantages of single-use technology has led to increasing demand for single-use sensors in the market. Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is shifting to producing non-blockbuster drugs, and the adoption of single-use technologies is also growing. In addition, many biopharmaceutical companies have redesigned or expanded their manufacturing facilities to incorporate single-use technology in their manufacturing workflow. The confluence of the abovementioned factors is anticipated to drive the segment in the coming years. Moreover, commercial advantages of single-use sensors, such as cost-effectiveness, reduced labor charges, and others, are also expected to increase the application of these products in the biopharmaceutical industry in the near future.

Recent Developments

• February 2022 - The Novasep chromatography division was acquired by the life science company Sartorius through its subsidiary Sartorius Stedim Biotech as of February 7, 2022, with the clearance of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Beginning in 2021, the acquisition had already been approved. With a double-digit profit margin in 2020 and revenues of about 40 million euros from the purchased company, definitive statistics for 2021 are not yet available. Most of the 100 personnel are based in eastern France at the Pompey location, with a smaller number in the USA, China, and India.
• September 2022 - To supply a 90 megawatt (M.W.) portion of the Seven Cowboy wind project in western Oklahoma, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the global leader in servicing science, recently inked an eight-year virtual power purchasing agreement with Enel North America. Half of Thermo Fisher's current electricity requirements in the United States will be satisfied by purchasing about 400,000-megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity.
• August 2022 - The nation's top STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) competition for middle school students, the Society for Science's middle school STEM competition, will now be sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in providing science. Thermo Fisher will be the competition's third title sponsor in its 25-year existence when its sponsorship officially kicks out in 2023.
• July 2022 - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the global leader in providing scientific services, presents new instruments, workflows, software, and industry partnerships that enable clients to produce next-generation vaccines and therapies more quickly yield new analytical insights. During the 70th American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, taking place June 5–9, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the business will present these developments.