Medical Textiles Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Non-woven, Woven), By Application (Healthcare & Hygiene Products, Implantable Goods), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview 

The global medical textiles market size was valued at USD 24.70 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% from 2021 to 2028. The demand for medical-grade textile products is expected to grow on account of the increasing awareness regarding better healthcare services and efficient medical treatments. The growing use of medical textile-based implantable goods, such as artificial ligaments, tendons, and body part enhancements, is expected to drive the market. The burgeoning aging population globally is expected to boost the number of surgeries for knee and joint replacement, in turn, driving the usage of implantable goods, thereby driving the market.

The U.S. has emerged as one of the most affected nations by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August 9, 2021, the country had witnessed more than 35.8 million cases and 617 thousand deaths. Due to this, the government has made large-scale investments in the expansion of healthcare services by adding new hospital beds. In addition, the government is providing aids to ramp up domestic production of personal protection equipment.

For instance, in 2021, Honeywell Corporation announced the expansion of manufacturing operations in its factory based in Smithfield, Rhode Island to produce personal protective equipment. This facility is expected to play a key role in supplying the Strategic National Stockpile with N95 masks.

Textile manufacturers are employing efforts to integrate across the stages of the value chain to reduce the overall cost of operations. For instance, medical textile manufacturers including ATEX Technologies Inc. and Bally Ribbon Mills are integrated, wherein they produce raw materials, namely fiber and yarns, which are used for manufacturing medical textiles.

Technological advancements by the prominent players in the market have raised the quality standards required for medical-grade textiles. A wide range of biodegradable polymers and natural fibers, along with non-biodegradable synthetic polymers, are being employed for the development of new products in the market.

Product Insights

The non-woven segment led the market and accounted for over 65.0% share of the global revenue in 2020 and is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. This is attributed to superior properties offered by the product such as high air permeability, superior strength to weight ratio, high bacterial resistance, and better water vapor transmission capacity.

Non-woven medical textiles have witnessed a spike in demand due to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and gowns, has significantly increased to curb virus transmission. Governments across several countries have passed strict regulations for wearing face masks in public places at all times.

The knitted medical textiles product segment is expected to expand at a revenue-based CAGR of 3.4% on account of the rising demand for the production of artificial blood vessels, cell scaffolds, hernia patches, and tissue re-engineering applications owing to their better porosity and structural efficiency compared to woven fabrics.

Knitting technology has been gaining popularity over the past few years owing to the ongoing research activities to manufacture high-tech medical textiles for making cell scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. As per a whitepaper by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, knitting is known for its forming technology and its greater performance to knit mesh fabrics.

Application Insights

The healthcare and hygiene products segment led the market and accounted for over 45.0% share of the global revenue in 2020. The segment is also expected to witness the highest growth in the years to come. Health and hygiene products such as face masks, gowns, medical bags, shoe covers, bedsheets, incontinence pads, maternity pads, drapes, caps, wipes, and sanitary napkins form one of the largest application areas of medical textiles.

The governments of several countries including the U.S., India, Brazil, the UAE, the U.K., Germany, and China have constructed new health facilities and expanded existing facilities for the treatment of COVID infected patients to increase the number of beds per 100,000 population. This is expected to boost the demand for general hygiene products as well as protective clothing, thus propelling the growth of the market.

The non-implantable goods segment is expected to register a revenue-based CAGR of 4.4% over the forecast period. The demand for non-implantable goods is expected to be driven by the growing number of surgeries globally as non-implantable goods protect wounds and stitches from the external environment.

Non-implantable goods are primarily used to reduce swelling, improve healing, reduce hemorrhage, restrict movement of the wound edges, provide pain relief, and keep intravenous cannula in place. The rising use of advanced non-implantable goods, such as tourniquets, to apply pressure on limbs to limit the flow of blood in post-operative rehabilitation is expected to benefit the demand for non-implantable goods.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for over 30.0% share of the overall revenue in 2020. This is attributed to an increase in the number of manufacturing facilities for non-woven fabrics in several countries, including China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Japan, and Indonesia.

Several medical textile companies in the region have added production lines to increase their manufacturing capacities to cater to the growing demand for raw materials for the manufacturing of PPE products, such as face masks, and surgical gowns. Governments in countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea are also providing financial and technological assistance to such companies to ramp up production, thus positively influencing the overall market growth.

Europe is expected to exhibit a revenue-based CAGR of 4.2% from 2021 to 2028. This is attributed to the rise in the healthcare expenditure in 2020 in several countries, including Germany, the U.K., Spain, France, Italy, and Russia, leading to the expansion of the existing healthcare facilities such as an increase in the number of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, thus driving the demand for beddings, protective equipment, and cleaning pads.

The growth in the number of cosmetic surgeries from 2018 to 2019 in several European nations, including Italy, Germany, the U.K., Russia, and Spain, is expected to create new growth opportunities for the market. The growth in the old-age population in several European countries is expected to increase the number of knee replacement surgeries, artificial ligament implants, and extracorporeal devices, thus benefitting the growth of the market.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The leading players in the market are following strategies, such as the launch of new product lines, expansion of production capacities by setting up new production units, collaborations with PPE manufacturers and healthcare institutions, and acquisitions of small-level players in different countries for product and geographical expansion of businesses. This would help them to gain a competitive edge in the market over other players and maintain their position in the market.

The niche players and visionaries in the market are focusing on catering to the local markets and expanding their businesses through collaborations with large players. They also focus on the development of innovative products to establish their unique position in the market. Some prominent players in the global medical textiles market include:

• Atex Technologies, Inc.

• Life-Threads

• Careismatic Brands

• Bally Ribbon Mills

• Freudenberg & Co. KG

• Trelleborg AB

• Indorama Corporation

• Herculite

• PurThread Technologies, Inc.

• Fitesa

• Schouw & Co.

• Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Medical Textiles Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global medical textiles market report on the basis of product, application, and region:

• Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Woven

  • Knitted

  • Non-woven

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Implantable Goods

  • Non-implantable Goods

  • Healthcare & Hygiene Products

  • Other Applications

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Russia

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa