FERMENTER MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024-2031)

Fermenter Market Size and Trends

The fermenter market is estimated to be valued at USD 1.98 Bn in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.37 Bn by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2024 to 2031.

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The fermenter market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The growth of the market is attributed to increasing focus on reducing contamination during fermentation as fermenters help eliminate manual interventions. Additionally, rising demand from industries, such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, is also fueling the demand for advanced fermenters. Growing need for continuous fermentation process among end-use industries is further expected to drive the market during the forecast period.

Rising Demand from Pharmaceutical Industry

The fermenter market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years driven majorly by the rising demand from the pharmaceutical industry. The industry has been relying heavily on fermenters for the commercial production of various biologics and biosimilars. Most of the therapeutic proteins and antibodies used in the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc. are developed through fermentation processes using microorganisms. With increasing prevalence of these diseases globally and rising demand for affordable biologics, pharmaceutical companies around the world have been ramping up their production capacities. This in turn has boosted the sales of large-scale fermenters substantially. Moreover, with the patent expiry of blockbuster biologics, many pharma companies are investing in developing biosimilars. Since fermentation remains the most economic production method for biosimilars as well, it is leading to additional requirements for fermenters in this domain. 

Market Concentration and Competitive Landscape

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Another key driver has been the rising deployment of fermenters in food and beverage applications. Fermentation is vital for producing a variety of food items consumed globally on a daily basis. Right from bread, yogurt, cheese to alcoholic beverages, fermented foods constitute a major part of the human diet. With growing health-consciousness, the demand for probiotic products with live cultures has surged significantly. Also, the rising income levels and changing demographics in emerging countries is driving higher spending on value-added, ready-to-eat and fortified food products which uses fermenters. Furthermore, the brewing industry too has witnessed expansion worldwide. The market for craft beers in particular has boomed with consumers preferring diversified flavors. This has spurred microbreweries to invest in fermenting systems for trial runs and scaling up niche brews, therefore the growing food industry is expected to drive the market growth. For instance, according to data published by Invest India in 2022, by 2025 the Indian food processing market is estimated to reach US$ 535 Bn, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15.2%.

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The fermenter market faces several challenges. Strict regulations and compliance practices regarding the use of fermenters increases costs. Additionally, the high capital investment required for the setup and maintenance of fermentation equipment deters small players. Technology upgrades needed to meet evolving industry standards further burden expenses. Customers also demand decentralized and flexible solutions, which traditional large-scale fermenters cannot provide. Sustaining profit margins against a backdrop of pricing pressures from low-cost alternatives is challenging.

 Market Opportunities: Demand from the food and beverage industry

The demand from the food and beverage industry is increasing. Expanding applications in the food and beverage sector as well as the rising use of fermenters for the production of various foods and beverages. Additionally, Adoption of single-use technologies and modular fermenters addressing the need for flexibility from customers opens new revenue streams

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In terms of process, fed-batch contributes 41.2% share of the market owing to its versatility in handling different types of microbial cultures and maximizing their product yields. Fed-batch fermentation involves intermittent feeding of the nutrient broth into the reactors to sustain microbial growth and prolong the production phase. This makes it possible to maintain optimal dissolved oxygen and pH levels throughout cultivation. The process also helps tightly control the concentration of substrate and prevent product inhibition. Several factors have fueled the popularity of fed-batch fermentation over other processes. The ability to extend fermentation duration enhances volumetric productivity per unit operation. Its flexibility lets operators scale up production smoothly. Fed-batch further permits sequential addition of multiple nutrients needed for cell growth and metabolite synthesis. This focused feeding supports high cell densities and concentrated yields of target molecules. Ease of process development and optimization also contributes to fed-batch's widespread use across a variety of industrial bioprocesses.

Insights, by microorganism: Microbial Diversity Bolsters the Growth of the Bacteria Segment

In terms of microorganism, bacteria contributes 61.2% of the market share owing to its unparalleled metabolic versatility and resilience. Bacteria encompass a vast repertoire of enzyme systems tailored for producing diverse biomolecules. Their short generation times permit rapid biomass buildup and concentration of fermentation products. E.coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Pseudomonas putida top the list of bacterial workhorses industrially cultivated for manufacturing amino acids, organic acids, polymers and biochemicals. Bacteria have also proven robust platforms for metabolic engineering and cell factory design. Their prokaryotic nature and genetic malleability expedite synthetic biology approaches to enhance producer strains. A treasure trove of gene sequences from bacterial isolates paves way for transferring multi-step pathways between species. Knowledge of bacterial physiology further helps steer metabolic flux toward optimized production routes. Collectively, these advantages have propelled bacteria to dominate large-scale fermentations across nutrition, chemical and energy sectors.

Insights, By Mode of Operation: Convenience Driving Semi-automatic Segment Growth

In terms of mode of operation, the semi-automatic segment contributes 58.2% of the market share due to the optimal balance it offers between automation and operator intervention. Semi-automatic fermenters facilitate automated process control via integrated sensors, actuators and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Dissolved oxygen, pH, agitation speed and temperature are routinely regulated with minimal manual oversight. However, the equipment still requires periodic human touch points for tasks like media addition, sampling, product harvest and cleaning. This hybrid design delivers convenience through partial mechanization while preserving flexibility for technological adjustments or product diversification on-site. Compared to fully manual stirring tanks, semi-automatic fermenters boost productivity via consistent process parameters and around-the-clock operation. Their partly intuitive interfaces also ease strain on technical manpower during production ramp-ups. At the same time, the option for operator inputs grants more control over critical process phases than all-automatic bioreactors. As such, semi-automatic fermenters strike an optimum balance of efficiency and customization desired across various industrial scales.

Regional Insights

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North America has firmly established itself as the dominant regional market for fermenters globally with 39.8% of the market share. The region is home to many large and established biopharmaceutical companies that have been leaders in the development and production of antibodies, vaccines, and other biologics. As the demand for these biologics has grown significantly in recent years, driven by an aging population and greater acceptance of these therapies, so too has the need for increased fermentation capacity in the region. As a result, major players like GE Healthcare, Sartorius, and Eppendorf have maintained a very strong presence here with significant manufacturing facilities catering to the North American market. These companies also benefit from the proximity to their largest customer base in the region. The advanced biopharma manufacturing infrastructure and availability of skilled labor has ensured North America remains the preferred location for setting up large scale commercial production sites.

A key emerging region has been Asia Pacific, which has seen fermenter demand rise rapidly. Countries like China and India have emerged as important manufacturing hubs for generics and biosimilars in recent years. Both nations are making large investments to build out their domestic biologics capabilities as global pharmaceutical companies look to expand or relocate production to lower cost regions. This has provided a major impetus for the fermenter market in Asia. Additionally, the region is also home to a growing pool of global CROs offering development and manufacturing services to biopharma clients worldwide. As their business expands, so too does their need for fermenters. This is contributing to fermenter procurement to satisfy the local market demand as well. With predicted growth in the region's biopharma manufacturing ecosystem

Market Report Scope

Fermenter Industry News

• In February 2024, Bio launched precision a fermentation platform for sustainable large-scale dairy protein production
• In January 2023, BrewBilt Manufacturing announced a US$ 130 million contract with an unnamed but prominent hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates more than 100 hotels, lounges, and restaurants
• In October 2023, MycoTechnology launched a groundbreaking initiative called Fermentation as a Service (FaaS) to address the global bottleneck in fermentation capacity. This platform offers startups and innovative enterprises access to essential tools and expertise to efficiently scale up their fermentation operations, ranging from volumes as low as 300 liters to as high as 90,000 liters.
• In October 2023, BASF built a new fermentation plant for crop protection products in Ludwigshafen

*Definition: The fermenter market provides equipment and solutions for fermentation applications across various industries like food and beverage, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and others. They offer different types of fermenters like stirred tank, air-lift, dual impeller, and single-use fermenters ranging from lab to production scales. Customers can purchase fermenters, process controllers, temperature control units, sensors and probes, media preparation and circulation systems, aseptic sampling systems, and other associated fermentation equipment from this market.

Market Segmentation

•  Process Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
• • Batch
  • Fed-batch
  • Continuous
•  Microorganism Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
•  Mode of Operation Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • Semi-automatic
  • Automatic
•  Application Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • Food
  • Beverages
  • Healthcare & cosmetics
• Regional Insights (Revenue, USD Bn, 2019 - 2031)
  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  • Latin America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Mexico
    • Rest of Latin America
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • U.K.
    • Spain
    • France
    • Italy
    • Russia
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • ASEAN
    • Rest of Asia Pacific
  • Middle East & Africa
    • GCC Countries
    • Israel
    • Rest of Middle East & Africa
• Key Players Insights
  • DSM N. V.
  • GEA GROUP
  • ALFA LAVAL AB
  • BASF SE
  • JBT CORPORATION
  • CHR. HANSEN HOLDINGS A/S
  • Biotree
  • Uma Pharmatech Machinery
  • Amerging Technologies
  • DIOSNA Dierks & Söhne GmbH
  • Pierre Guerin SA
  • OMVE
  • SYSBIOTECH GmbH
  • Shree Biocare Solutions Private Limited
  • Borg Scientific