The Global Cell Culture Market was valued at approximately USD 18.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 33.1 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period.

The global cell culture market refers to the market for the production, cultivation, and maintenance of cells in an artificial environment outside the living organism. Cell culture techniques are widely used in various fields of research, including drug discovery, cell-based assays, regenerative medicine, and biopharmaceuticals.

The growth of the cell culture market is driven by the increasing demand for biopharmaceutical products, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the growing investments in cell-based research. Moreover, the development of advanced cell culture technologies and the increasing adoption of 3D cell culture techniques are expected to fuel the market growth in the coming years.

The major players operating in the global cell culture market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA, Lonza Group AG, Sartorius AG, GE Healthcare, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Corning Incorporated, PromoCell GmbH, CellGenix GmbH, and Takara Bio, Inc.

Market Dynamics 

Driving Factors

The driving factors behind the growth of the global cell culture market include:

Increasing investments in cell-based research: Governments and private organizations are investing heavily in cell-based research, which has led to the development of new cell culture techniques and technologies. This has created new opportunities for the growth of the cell culture market.

Growing demand for personalized medicine: The use of cell culture techniques is critical in the development of personalized medicine, which is gaining popularity in the healthcare industry. The growing demand for personalized medicine has increased the demand for cell culture techniques in drug discovery and development.

Restraining Factors

There are several restraining factors that could affect the growth of the global cell culture market, including:

Contamination issues: Contamination of cell cultures with bacteria, fungi, and viruses can affect the accuracy of experiments and lead to inaccurate results. This can lead to increased costs and delays in research and development.

Regulatory challenges: The regulatory environment for cell culture techniques is complex and varies across different regions. Compliance with regulations can be challenging and could limit the adoption of these techniques.

Challenges Factors

The global cell culture market faces several challenges, including:

Automation: The automation of cell culture techniques can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve accuracy. However, the high cost of automation equipment and the need for skilled personnel to operate the equipment can limit the adoption of automation in cell culture.

Alternative methods: The development of alternative methods to traditional cell culture techniques, such as organoids and microfluidic devices, is gaining popularity. These methods offer advantages such as increased accuracy and reduced ethical concerns but may require significant investment in research and development to achieve commercial viability.

Opportunity Factors

The global cell culture market presents several opportunities for growth and innovation, including:

Bioprocessing: The use of cell culture techniques in bioprocessing is an important area of growth for the cell culture market. Bioprocessing involves the large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals, and cell culture techniques are critical in the cultivation of cells used in biopharmaceutical production.

Emerging markets: The growing demand for biopharmaceuticals in emerging markets presents a significant opportunity for growth in the cell culture market. These markets have large populations with high disease burdens, and there is significant potential for the development of new treatments and therapies using cell culture techniques.

Segmentation Analysis

Consumable Outlook

Cell culture media is the most significant segment of the consumables market, accounting for the largest share of revenue. Media is a critical component in cell culture, providing the necessary nutrients and growth factors for cell growth and proliferation.

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most commonly used serum in cell culture, providing a source of growth factors and other essential nutrients. However, ethical concerns have led to the development of alternative serum-free media, which is expected to drive growth in this segment.

Cell culture reagents include enzymes, buffers, and other chemicals used in cell culture experiments. The development of new reagents and the growing demand for high-quality, specialized reagents are expected to drive growth in this segment. Other consumables in the cell culture market include cell culture flasks, plates, and other materials used in cell culture experiments. The growing adoption of 3D cell culture techniques and microfluidic devices is expected to drive growth in this segment.

The consumables segment of the cell culture market is expected to continue growing, driven by the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals and the development of advanced cell culture technologies. However, the market faces challenges such as the high cost of consumables, ethical concerns related to the use of animal-derived components, and the need for standardization in cell culture techniques.

Application Outlook

The biopharmaceutical segment is the largest application segment of the cell culture market, accounting for a significant share of revenue. Cell culture techniques are used in the production of biopharmaceuticals, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and recombinant proteins.

Cell culture techniques are used in regenerative medicine to grow and differentiate stem cells for use in tissue engineering and cell-based therapies. The regenerative medicine segment is expected to grow rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for personalized medicine and the development of advanced cell culture technologies.

Cell culture techniques are widely used in cancer research to study the mechanisms of cancer growth and to develop new cancer therapies. The cancer research segment is expected to grow as researchers continue to uncover new information about the underlying mechanisms of cancer. Cell culture techniques are also used in areas such as genetic engineering, toxicology, and neuroscience research. The adoption of 3D cell culture techniques and microfluidic devices is expected to drive growth in these areas.

The application segment of the cell culture market is expected to continue growing, driven by the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, and personalized medicine. However, the market faces challenges such as the need for standardization in cell culture techniques and the development of advanced cell culture technologies to meet the growing demand for cell-based therapies.

Regional Analysis

North America is the largest market for cell culture products and services, driven by the presence of major biopharmaceutical companies and research institutions. The region is also characterized by a strong regulatory framework, which has led to the development of high-quality and standardized cell culture products.

Europe is the second-largest market for cell culture, driven by the presence of a strong biopharmaceutical industry and a growing focus on personalized medicine. The region also has a well-established regulatory framework, which has led to the development of high-quality and standardized cell culture products.

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market for cell culture, driven by the growing demand for biopharmaceuticals and the increasing adoption of cell culture techniques in research and development. The region also has a large population with high disease burdens, presenting significant opportunities for the development of new therapies and treatments.

The Latin America region is expected to grow steadily, driven by the increasing adoption of cell culture techniques in research and development and the growing demand for biopharmaceuticals.

The Middle East and Africa region is a smaller market for cell culture, but it is expected to grow as the region continues to develop its healthcare infrastructure and increase investment in research and development.

Scope Of Report:

The Global Cell Culture Market has been segmented into:

By Consumable

Media

• Minimum Essential Media (MEM)
• RPMI 1640 Media
• DMEM/F-12 Media
• F-10 Serum Free Media
• BME Media
• Insect Media
• Other Media

Serum

• Fetal Bovine Serum
• Other AnimalSerum

Reagents

• Albumin
• Other

By Product

• Culture Systems
• Incubators
• Centrifuges
• Cryostorage Equipment
• Biosafety Equipment
• Pipetting Instruments

By Application

• Biopharmaceuticals
• Tissue Culture & Engineering
• Vaccine Production
• Drug Development
• Gene Therapy
• Toxicity Testing
• Cancer Research
• Others

By Region

• North America
• US
• Canada
• Mexico
• Rest of North America
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • UK
  • Nordic Countries
    • Denmark
    • Finland
    • Iceland
    • Sweden
    • Norway
  • Benelux Union
    • Belgium
    • The Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific
  • Japan
  • China
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Southeast Asia
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Rest of Southeast Asia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific
• The Middle East & Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Egypt
• South Africa
• Rest of the Middle East & Africa
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of Latin America

Market Players 

The global cell culture market is highly competitive and fragmented, with numerous players vying for market share. Some of the key companies in the market are:

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company
• Merck KGaA
• Sartorius AG
• VWR International, LLC
• Eppendorf SE
• PromoCell GmbH
• Bio-Techne Corporation
• BioSpherix, Ltd.

GE Healthcare is a leading provider of cell culture products and services, including media, sera, and reagents. The company has a strong presence in North America and Europe and has been expanding its operations in Asia-Pacific.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading player in the cell culture market, offering a wide range of products and services for research, development, and manufacturing applications. The company has a strong presence in North America and Europe and has been expanding its operations in Asia-Pacific.

Merck KGaA is a global pharmaceutical and life science company that offers a broad range of cell culture products and services, including media, sera, reagents, and equipment. The company has a strong presence in Europe and Asia-Pacific and has been expanding its operations in North America.

Sartorius is a global provider of cell culture products and services, including media, sera, and reagents. The company has a strong presence in Europe and Asia-Pacific and has been expanding its operations in North America.

Corning is a leading provider of cell culture products and services, including media, sera, and equipment. The company has a strong presence in North America and has been expanding its operations in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Becton, Dickinson and Company is a global medical technology company that offers a range of cell culture products and services, including media, sera, and reagents. The company has a strong presence in North America and Europe and has been expanding its operations in Asia-Pacific.

The cell culture market is characterized by intense competition and rapid innovation, with major players investing heavily in research and development to stay ahead of the curve. The market is expected to continue growing, driven by the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals and the development of advanced cell culture technologies.

Strategic Developments

In September 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired PPD, Inc., a leading global contract research organization (CRO), for $17.4 billion. The acquisition will strengthen Thermo Fisher's capabilities in drug discovery and development and broaden its service offerings in the life sciences industry.

In June 2021, Merck KGaA announced the acquisition of AmpTec, a leading provider of high-quality mRNA technologies for research and diagnostic applications. The acquisition will strengthen Merck's position in the rapidly growing mRNA market and complement its existing portfolio of gene editing and gene therapy technologies.

In March 2021, GE Healthcare announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Solutions Life Sciences, a leading provider of 3D bioprinting technologies. The partnership aims to develop new technologies and solutions for cell culture and regenerative medicine applications.

In February 2021, Lonza Group announced the acquisition of Silantes GmbH, a leading provider of stable isotope-labeled proteins for use in cell culture research. The acquisition will expand Lonza's capabilities in the development and production of high-quality cell culture products and services.

In January 2021, Sartorius AG announced the acquisition of Novasep Holding SAS, a leading provider of chromatography technologies and contract manufacturing services for the biopharmaceutical industry. The acquisition will strengthen Sartorius' capabilities in downstream processing and expand its service offerings in the life sciences industry.