Market Spotlight: The Life Science Market Through 2020

In our 2017 SDi Global Assessment Report: The Analytical & Life Science Instrumentation Industry, Life Science is one of the ten major categories we cover and one of the most important. Life Science constitutes the largest market segment accounting for a quarter of the total analytical instruments market. In 2016, the LS market grew an estimated 4.8%. Read more at our blog and share your thoughts on where the market is heading!

In our report, the Life Science chapter encompasses 13 individual technology segments, which collectively enable a wide range of applications, thereby providing significant opportunities for growth not only in general applications but niche research markets as well. The 13 product categories that make up this market segment are DNA sequencing, PCR, microarrays, nucleic acid sample prep & cell separation, electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis, in vivo animal imaging, flow cytometry, cell counters, electrophysiology, high content analysis/cell imaging, SPR & label-free detection, and automated synthesizers.

Nucleic acid–based analysis remains at the forefront of this segment’s growth, although demand for protein/peptide, cell-based and in vivo animal applications also continue to provide robust growth.

Illumina and QIAGEN are the biggest players in the sequencing and nucleic acid sample preparation arenas, respectively, while Thermo Fisher Scientific remains a strong contender in both. Thermo Fisher also leads the PCR market, whereas BD Biosciences is the undisputed leader of the flow cytometry market. Other significant vendors that manufacture products for several different segments include Agilent Technologies, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Danaher, GE Healthcare and MilliporeSigma.

Geographically, China is the fastest growing region in terms of demand for life science instrumentation, but the US remains the largest market but political and economic uncertainty are making growth projections for 2017 problematic.

The Life Science chapter of the Global Assessment Report quantifies the regional distribution of demand and the size of each of the 13 product categories. This information is further segmented according to initial systems, aftermarket, and service; unit shipments/installations, growth rates, and demand by industry and lab function. Each section also explores the current state of the competitive playing field, including a list of the top vendors’ market shares, a vendor participation matrix, recent developments, and concludes with a short discussion that suggests where the market might be headed over the next five years from the related standpoints of technology, competition, and growth.