The global microbial identification market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2% from 2020 to 2025 to reach $5.7 billion by 2025, according to a new report from MarketsandMarkets. Key factors driving this rapid growth include the rising incidence of infectious diseases and frequency of pandemics, advances in identification technologies, increasing food safety concerns, and rising government funding to detect and control antimicrobial resistance.

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The prevalence of infectious diseases continues to rise globally, with hundreds of millions of foodborne illness cases each year in addition to upwards of tens of millions of cases annually of diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and others. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the threat posed by novel pathogens. This is increasing demand for microbial identification tools to enable rapid diagnosis and inform treatment decisions. Government and health organizations are responding by devoting more resources to antimicrobial resistance monitoring and control through national action plans, funding, and strategic partnerships.

At the same time, mass spectrometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and other microbial identification technologies are advancing to offer greater speed, accuracy, and applicability to different pathogen types. Major players in the industry are actively investing to improve their product portfolios through strategic acquisitions and facility expansions. For example, bioMerieux recently acquired Invisible Sentinel to expand into new customer segments like breweries, while Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a customer solutions center in India focused on the food industry.

Among products and services, consumables like test panels and culture media account for the majority of revenue, underpinning the strong recurring revenue business models of leading vendors. By technology, mass spectrometry has the largest market share owing to its versatility and precision for bacterial, fungal, and archaeal pathogen identification. Hospitals, clinical labs, and blood banks make up the largest end-user segment due to the immense volume of diagnostic testing carried out to inform the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

While North America held the greatest share of the global microbial identification market in 2019, developing regions present rich expansion opportunities. Governments in China, India, and elsewhere are actively promoting domestic capabilities through funding, national antimicrobial resistance action plans, and cross-sector strategic partnerships. However, complex regulatory frameworks in established markets like the United States and European Union pose barriers to obtaining rapid approval for new products. Companies also face challenges making automated identification systems affordable and accessible to less well-funded institutions and labs in developing markets.

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The competitive landscape is occupied by a handful of globally dominant players, including bioMerieux, BD, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher Corporation, Merck KGaG, and others. Most companies are focusing both on internal R&D and external partnerships and acquisitions to expand their customer reach and keep pace with the latest identification technologies. Developing creative financing models to promote uptake in cost-sensitive markets offers an avenue for accelerating growth.