Single-use Bioreactors Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, By Type, By Type Of Cell, By Molecule Type, By Application, By End-use, By Usage Type, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global single-use bioreactors market size was valued at USD 3,304.1 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.19% from 2023 to 2030. Single-use systems are emerging as an important technology for pharmaceutical and mammalian cell culture applications. They are particularly well suited for biopharmaceutical production, where prevailing market trends call for quick, easy, and flexible deployment.

In addition, with comprehensive qualification and validation procedures, the usage of single-use bioreactors lowers the possibility of cross-contamination and improves process safety in highly potent biopharmaceutical compounds. These factors are anticipated to drive the market for single-use bioreactors.

During the pandemic, the need for speedy mass production of vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus saw an upsurge in the adoption of flexible technologies by biopharmaceutical companies that could be brought online rapidly. The coronavirus disease and the necessity for rapid large-scale vaccine manufacturing have caused an increase in demand for single-use systems, thereby driving the growth of the single-use bioreactors market.

Moreover, the modular nature of single-use systems has facilitated local manufacturing in developing countries that are incapable to afford investments in stainless steel facilities, to support their own regional and domestic markets. Presently, most bioreactors available in the market are being used for research related to COVID-19.

In addition, some of the manufacturers are using bioreactors to culture suitable host cells for the coronavirus, in order to study the viral pathogenesis in humans. Moreover, in the past few months, single-use bioreactor manufacturers have undertaken numerous collaborative initiatives, to develop biologics/vaccines as potential therapeutics against COVID-19.

For instance, ABEC has focused to customize process services and solutions throughout the manufacturing and development of the entire range of biopharmaceutical products, with the aid of its single-use solutions. In September 2020, ABEC announced it is supporting Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. by delivering six 4,000L CSR bioreactors for the manufacturing of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX‑CoV2373.

The usage of single-use bioreactors is growing at an annual rate of 11.0%, according to the 16th Annual Report of Biomanufacturing. The range of stainless-steel bioreactors and associated high capital costs have become a challenge due to the changing demand for biopharmaceuticals. SUBs' versatility to meet the rising demand for biopharmaceuticals has enabled them to successfully address the issues related to traditional bioreactors. The flexibility offered by single-use bioreactors is one of the main encouraging factors for investing in technology that further drives the single-use bioreactors market growth.

Additionally, it is projected that in the upcoming years, the use of disposable bioreactors will pick up steam due to the increased demand for biopharmaceuticals across the globe. Small-scale, bench-top SUBs reduce the requirement for assembling, cleaning, and autoclaving, which leads to quicker turnaround times. The advantages offered by SUBs motivate their use for the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals.

The SUBs also have the potential to be less expensive than traditional bioreactors. They typically have lower implementation costs than traditional stainless-steel bioreactor systems. Therefore, the cost-saving benefits of these items in terms of construction, operation, and cleaning can be primarily attributed to their adoption. Cost, desired operating volume, reaction size, temperature control, and capacity are deciding factors when choosing single-use bioreactors.

Increasing investment flow by key players in the production of advanced & effective equipment is likely to support the market growth throughout the projected timeframe. For instance, in March 2022, Dundee-based Cellexus International introduced a single-use airlift bioreactor that helps scientists to grow fragile cell cultures for their study more quickly and affordably. Instead of employing harsher mixing methods, the Cell Maker single-use airlift bioreactors produce bubbles that percolate through the mixture, generating a gentle mixing action for even the most fragile cell cultures. Such initiatives by companies are likely to supplement the single-use bioreactors market growth in the coming years.

Product Insights

The single use bioreactor systems segment captured the largest market share of above 81.17% in 2022. Single-use bioreactor systems are widely used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes that require high product yield. The versatility, cost-effectiveness, and high mass production capability of single-use bioreactors would increase demand for the products leading to rapid market growth. 

Furthermore, the rising demand for quick development, and greater production of new bio-therapeutics including vaccines, antibodies, enzymes, and hormones, in addition to an increase in the product quantities that can be produced in these bioreactors, contributes to the market's ongoing expansion. In addition, an increase in the focus of key manufacturers on offering small-scale bioreactors will fuel segment growth over the next few years. 

Type Insights

Stirred tank bioreactors accounted for the largest share of 80.18% in 2022. The benefits offered by these bioreactors include good oxygen transfer and fluid mixing ability, easy scale-up, low operating costs, compliance with cGMP requirements & alternative impellers. These factors have led to the highest penetration of stirred tank bioreactors in the market.

The availability of wave-induced bioreactors will increase in the coming years, boosting the market growth. In addition, for the past ten years, Wave Biotech AG has sold the original wave SUBs BIOSTAT RM. In 2019, the business unveiled the second version, BIOSTAT RM II, which has more sophisticated features & offers enhanced control of temperature and driving system. The demand for wave-induced SUBs is anticipated to increase due to these manufacturing developments during the forecast period. Therefore, such type of advancements by the manufacturers will drive segmental growth in the forecast period. 

Type of Cell Insights

The mammalian cells segment accounted for the largest share of 80.80% in 2022. This can be attributed to the significant penetration of this cell type in the creation of biopharmaceutical therapies and the commercial success of recombinant proteins made from mammalian cells. As per BioProcess International, 85.0% of biopharmaceutical candidates in clinical development are made using mammalian cell cultures. 

Yeasts are dependable eukaryotic hosts for the synthesis of heterologous proteins and offer special benefits in the generation of therapeutic recombinants. Growing attention given by several scientists and research organizations to the use of yeast cells in clinical or therapeutic settings will drive market expansion during the projected timeframe. For instance, research published by NCBI in June 2021 examined cutting-edge techniques and approaches for synthesizing heterologous medicinal proteins from yeast genes. 

Molecule Type Insights

The vaccines segment accounted for the largest share of 27.92% in 2022. This is majorly attributed to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in an urgent need for the development of virus vaccines. According to Bioplan Associates, the use of single-use systems in the commercial manufacturing of vaccines is anticipated to rise sharply. Many biopharmaceutical companies are actively engaged in the quick development of COVID-19 vaccines in response to the pandemic. 

Additionally, the gene modified cells segment is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 18.14% during the review period. The growing field of cell and gene therapies is anticipated to accelerate the uptake of SUBs in this market. For instance, in January 2021, Sartorius and RoosterBio, Inc. teamed up to improve the production capabilities for gene and cell therapies. The partnership aims to increase the manufacturing of regenerative medicines. Such an ongoing and continuous increase in the adoption of single-use systems is anticipated to drive market growth. 

Application Insights

In 2022, the research and development (R&D)/process development segment accounted for an 80.27% share of the market. Single-use bioreactor utilization in process development is a driving force behind market expansion. For instance, according to an article published in 2020 by American Pharmaceutical Review, the industry has employed about 71.2% of single-use bioreactors for process development.

Furthermore, every component of the bioprocessing sector uses single-use systems. According to the American Pharmaceutical Review, single-use system devices are used for clinical or process development in about 85.0% of the operations. This exhibits the majority of single-use bioreactors in both clinical manufacturing and R&D.

The bioproduction sector is expected to attain the fastest CAGR of 17.93% and is anticipated to see significant use of single-use bioreactors in the near future, due to the numerous benefits they provide. The use of disposable reactors, from the lab to the industrial, has increased as a result of significant developments in bioreactor designs, sensor systems, and stirring motors.

Usage Insights

The lab-scale production segment held the largest revenue share of 35.69% in 2022. In the biopharmaceutical business, disposable bioreactors are frequently employed in preclinical & clinical research. It is anticipated that growing single-use technology acceptance would have a substantial impact on segment growth in cell-based therapy research and vaccine production.

Throughout the forecast period, it is anticipated that the large-scale production category would experience significant expansion at a CAGR of 18.37%. This is due to the quickly expanding market demand for the commercial production of biopharmaceutical goods and the growth of manufacturing capacity to accommodate these demands. For instance, Wuxi Biologics introduced a 36,000L bio manufacturing line in February 2021, employing nine 4,000L single-use bioreactors.

In addition, to enable the scale-up, companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and ABEC launched large-volume single-use bioreactors in the market. In recent years, Thermo Fisher introduced its 5000-L single-use bioreactor and ABEC launched its 4000-L and 6000-L single-use bioreactors.

End-use Insights

The CMOs & CROs segment accounted for a significant share of 38.64% in 2022 and it is also expected to be the fastest-growing segment during the study period. The demand for supply production capacity as well as quick awareness campaign change-overs is more among CMOs. As a result, they use a broader range of single-use components and systems. With the increasing trend of outsourcing, CROs & CMOs are more likely to adopt single-use bioreactors.

On the other hand, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies are estimated to witness significant growth. According to estimates, 66.0% of biopharmaceutical companies use disposable bioreactors in their routine operations. Furthermore, strategic activities by key market players offer lucrative opportunities in the review period. For instance, BioCentriq and Pall Corporation worked together in July 2021 to clinically manufacture Zolgensma, an FDA-approved gene therapy, utilizing an iCELLis fixed bed bioreactor.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the regional market with a share of 34.33% in 2022. This is explained by the fact that the region has well-established biopharmaceutical companies and key operating players. Additionally, the region's increased production capacity has added to the market expansion. For instance, Thermo Fisher Scientific stated in September 2021 that it would build a new manufacturing facility specifically for single-use bioprocessing products.

Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the fastest CAGR of 17.62% throughout the forecast period. According to estimates, Asian businesses, including both domestic contenders and global behemoths, are building approximately half of all new bioprocessing facilities worldwide. In the near future, this is anticipated to significantly fuel single-use bioreactors market expansion in the Asia Pacific.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key players in this market are implementing various strategies, including partnerships through mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansions, and strategic collaborations to expand their market presence. For instance, in June 2022, Exothera SA partnered with Logic Bio Therapeutics and Polyplus-transfection SA to produce a highly scalable AAV manufacturing platform. The Allegro stirred tank single-use bioreactors manufactured by Pall Corporation have been selected for this project. Some of the key players in the global single-use bioreactors market include:

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech

• Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Danaher

• Merck KgaA

• Celltainer Biotech BV

• Getinge AB

• Eppendorf AG

• Cellexus

• PBS Biotech Inc.

• Distek Inc.

• ABEC

• Able Corporation & Biott Corporation

• G&G Technologies Inc.

• Solida Biotech GmbH

• Satake Chemical Equipment Mfg., Ltd.

• Stobbe Pharma GmbH

• bbi-biotech GmbH 

Single-use Bioreactors Market Report Scope 

Global Single-use Bioreactors Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue 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 2018 to 2030. For this report, Grand View Research has segmented the global single-use bioreactors market based on the product, type, type of cell, molecule type, application, end-use, usage type, and region:

• Product Scope Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Single-use bioreactor systems

    • Up to 10L

    • 11-100L

    • 101-500L

    • 501-1500L

    • Above 1500L

  • Single-use media bags

    • 2D Bags

    • 3D Bags

    • Others

  • Single-use Filtration Assemblies

  • Other Products

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Stirred-tank SUBs

  • Wave-induced SUBs

  • Bubble-column SUBs

  • Other SUBs

• Type of Cell Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Mammalian Cells

  • Bacterial Cells

  • Yeast Cells

  • Other Cells

• Molecule Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Monoclonal Antibodies

  • Vaccines

  • Gene Modified Cells

  • Stem Cells

  • Other Molecules

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Research and Development (R&D) or Process Development

  • Bioproduction

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Companies

  • CROs & CMOs

  • Academic & Research Institutes

• Usage Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Lab-scale Production

  • Pilot-scale Production

  • Large-scale Production

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

    • Thailand

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa (MEA)

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Kuwait