Europe Package Testing - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2019 - 2029

The Europe Package Testing Market size is estimated at USD 7.13 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 10.88 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 8.83% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

With the outbreak of COVID-19, packaging companies providing their solutions to the e-commerce sector are expected to witness more substantial growth in the European region as buying habits are evolving into longer-term behavior change.

Moreover, the pharmaceutical sector in the European region witnessed significant demand, due to which many packaging companies engaged in the pharmaceutical industry were deemed essential and were functioning despite the outbreak of COVID-19. For instance, in March 2020, Beatson Clark, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical containers in the UK, announced that its production and warehouse facilities were fully operational in order to maintain the supply of bottles and jars for the pharmaceutical sectors. This, in turn, is expected to increase the usage of package testing for such packaging products in the pharmaceutical industry.

Key Highlights

• Packaging plays an integral part in protecting products. In Europe, goods can be moved with ease as a result of its open borders. The products are transported by road, sea, and air, due to which they are subject to several external parameters that could damage their overall quality. As a result, several companies tend to test their packaging before using them on their products.
• Over the past few decades, there has been a significant change in edible product packaging, with a higher focus on enhancing the shelf life and reducing costs associated with damaged goods. Also, there is a growth in the demand for perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmacy products in the region. These factors have increased the emphasis on proper testing of packaging materials. According to the Office for National Statistics UK, the index number for the sales for cosmetic and toilet articles was 1,513.2 in 2018 and 1,261.9 till September 2019.
• Advanced packaging methods, such as intelligent packaging, active, smart packaging, and modified atmosphere packaging, are replacing traditional methods. This phenomenon has driven the need for effectively testing the packaged goods. The rising awareness about eco-friendly packaging, such as paper-based packaging solutions, has further driven the demand for package testing to ensure that the package's integrity is not compromised.
• Recycling is a primary concern for packaging companies, as they strive to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment by reducing emissions. Such packages need more rigorous tests, as product integrity cannot be compromised even when packed in recycled materials. According to the European Environment Agency, in 2016, 67% of the packaging waste generated in the EU-28 and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway was recycled.

Europe Package Testing Market Trends

Glass Usage in Packaging Expected to Drive the Growth of the Market

• The capital-intensive container glass sector is a major contributor in the European packaging sector. Annually, this industry invests up to EUR 610 million in innovation and to maintain a network of 162 plants across the region. According to FEVE, in the last 15 years, the EU consumption of products packed in glass has grown by about 39% and glass recycling has increased by 139%. This further underlines the importance of the development of a pan-European glass package testing ecosystem.
• Apart from food, the beverage packaging industry is also undergoing major changes that are expected to drive glass packaged testing in the region. Coca-Cola recently shifted from PET bottles, back to glass bottles, and therefore, it requires a significant volume of glass bottles. The company has invested around EUR 50 million in two, new glass production lines in Mannheim and Lüneburg, which are expected to start operating soon.
• Additionally, as a material, glass is 100% recyclable. It is Europe’s most recycled food and beverage packaging material, with collection rates at 76%. Every 8 out of 10 Europeans (76%) recognize that glass is the most environmentally-friendly packaging material.
• The French industry for glass bottle and container use is led by luxury perfumes, personal care products, and cognac. These end-user industries have been continually introducing practices that promote sustained use of glass containers in packaging. The rise of the perfume sub-contracting industry is expected to drive the package testing of glass bottles.

United Kingdom Occupies a Majority Share in the Market.

• United Kingdom witnesses rising developments in areas such as digital watermarking in packaging to raise the prospect of making invisible methods of connectivity cheaper. Also, the increasing consumption of soft drinks, spirits, wine, and beer in the region is also contributing to the growth of beverage packaging, which is one of the drivers to the package testing market in Europe.
• Premium brands have always used luxury packaging for their products, but other innovative solutions from companies, like Charapak in the UK, include reversible and returnable packaging. With reversible packaging, the inside of the box features a gift-wrap like print pattern, while the outside is a normal carton. Because of this, the demand for customized cartons has been high from this segment, which improved the demand for package testing.
• The growing adoption of packaging in the region, due to the expanding e-commerce industry, is also driving the package testing demand in the United Kingdom region. Also, people in the area are willing to spend more on items if they have had some role in customizing them, with one in five willing to pay an additional 20% for personalization privileges.
• The changes in the European package testing market in the region for the last few years has been the case due to more retail companies that have opened many more product lines. The retailers have appreciated more efficient distribution and logistics due to broader vertical integration.

Europe Package Testing Industry Overview

The European Package Testing Market has a wide portfolio of customers from the local and international market. This factor leads to high competition among the vendors. Vendors often choose to retain their clients or make new clients by competitive pricing strategies. As most of the packaging material is sourced from imports, there is a high competition among the suppliers to capture a limited number of players in the market. This factor is intensifying the competitive rivalry among the local and foreign manufacturers.

Some of the key players in the market include Glass Technology Services, Eurofins Scientific SE, Intertek Group PLC, among others. Some of the key recent developments in the market include:

• September 2020 - Eurofins acquired SunDream Group, which is one of the largest players in the environment testing market in Taiwan. SunDream's technical capabilities will provide Eurofins with a broad portfolio offering of accredited testing methods in the market.
• September 2020 - Intertek partnered with Roquette to announce the launch of a shared Audit Program dedicated to the Food Industry. The program allows multiple food companies to evaluate the same supplier simultaneously through a single third-party audit while maintaining the same level of quality and safety.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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