Microcarrier Market Report 2025

This Microcarrier market report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography.

The microcarrier market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $2.17 billion in 2024 to $2.39 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing demand for cell-based vaccines, increasing government initiatives, increased private funding for cell and geneTherapy, rising burden of infectious diseases, growing r&d activities to provideTherapeutic effective vaccine results.

The microcarrier market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $3.77 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing prevalence of cancer cases, growing demand for cell-based vaccines, rising burden of infectious and chronic diseases, increasing r&d activities, growing demand for regenerative medicine. Major trends in the forecast period include development of scalable and high-density microcarriers, shift towards single-use microcarrier systems, integration of advanced materials in microcarrier design, customized microcarrier solutions for specific cell types, emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly microcarrier manufacturing.

The growth of the microcarrier market is fueled by the increasing prevalence of cancer cases. The primary contributing factor to the rising cancer risk is the extended lifespan of individuals. Additionally, the adoption of a Western lifestyle, poor dietary habits, increased dairy consumption, the use of food additives, frequent non-vegetarian diets, chemical pollution, and a lack of exercise have collectively led to a surge in cancer cases globally. As the number of cancer cases continues to grow, microcarrier support plays a crucial role. It serves as a matrix facilitating the growth of adherent cells in bioreactors, promoting cancer cell proliferation, and aiding in the formation of microtissue for the repair and restoration of damaged or degenerated tissue. Notably, the American Cancer Society reported an increase in cancer cases from 1,898,160 in 2021 to 1,958,310 in 2023, reflecting a growth of 3. 16%. Thus, the escalating prevalence of cancer cases is a driving force behind the growth of the microcarrier market.

The growing investment in cell and gene therapies is propelling the microcarrier market. These advanced medical treatments modify cells or genes to address diseases, presenting potential breakthroughs for conditions that are currently untreatable. Microcarriers play a crucial role in cell and gene therapy, enabling the large-scale expansion and culture of adherent cells, particularly stem cells and other specialized cell types. For example, in November 2023, the National Library of Medicine, a U.S. government agency, reported that in 2022, over 50 gene, cell, and RNA therapies were approved globally, with more than 3,500 therapies in clinical and preclinical development. As a result, the increasing funding for cell and gene therapies is expected to drive the growth of the microcarrier market.

A key trend gaining traction in the microcarrier market is technological advancement. The market has witnessed the adoption of microcarrier bead technology, enabling developers to cultivate adherent cell cultures at relevant densities in single-use bioreactors. This technique involves imprinting adherent cells onto carriers, which are then developed in single-use bioreactor designs and scaled for clinical and commercial production volumes. Major players in the microcarrier sector are actively pursuing technological advancements to maintain their market position. For example, denovoMATRIX, a Germany-based biomaterials designer, introduced a novel microcarrier in May 2022 to advance cell and gene therapy manufacturing. This microcarrier enhances the availability of high-quality mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for stem cell-based therapies by enabling efficient MSC proliferation and harvest in Xeno/serum-free media while maintaining stemness.

Leading companies in the microcarrier market are concentrating on product innovation, exemplified by the development of PVA Hydrogel Microcarriers. These microcarriers, made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel, are biocompatible materials designed to support the growth and expansion of adherent cells in bioprocessing and cell culture applications. For instance, Kuraray Co., Ltd., a Japan-based chemical manufacturer, introduced PVA hydrogel microcarriers in October 2023 for use in regenerative medicine. These microcarriers, when introduced into bioreactors for large-scale cell cultures, facilitate cell adhesion and growth, streamlining the process of cell detachment and recovery. They are recognized for their robustness in bioreactor conditions, safety credentials, and efficiency in enhancing cell culture.

In June 2023, Saint-Gobain Life Sciences, a US-based manufacturer of fluid management solutions and components, announced an expanded investment and service agreement with denovoMATRIX GmbH, a Germany-based microcarrier manufacturing company. This extended partnership until 2026 focuses on developing products for the stem cell therapy sector, combining Saint-Gobain Life Sciences' VueLife cell culture bags with denovoMATRIX's coated microcarriers.

Major companies operating in the microcarrier market include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., The Merck Group, GE Healthcare Technologies Inc., Corning Incorporated, Lonza Group AG, Microcarrier Global, Sartorius AG, Getinge AB, ChemoMetec, Cesco Bioengineering Co. Ltd., Himedia Laboratories Pvt. LTtd., Esco VacciXcell, Danaher Corporation, Eppendorf AG, Solida Biotech GmbH, CellGenix GmbH, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific Inc., Stemcell Technologies Inc., Bio-Techne Corporation, InVitria Inc., CytoSMART Technologies BV, Synthace Limited, Cell Guidance Systems Ltd., BioLamina AB, Cell Culture Company LLC, Cell Applications Inc., CellSystems Biotechnologie Vertrieb GmbH, Cellon SA, Repligen corporation, VWR International.

North America was the largest region in the microcarrier market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the microcarrier market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the microcarrier market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Canada, Spain.

A microcarrier is a support structure designed to facilitate the growth of adherent cells in bioreactors. It serves as a surface for suspended cell cultures, providing anchorage or connection points that enhance cell viability. The use of microcarriers is instrumental in increasing cell numbers and maintaining the appropriate phenotype for tissue repair and the restoration of cellular function.

The primary products associated with microcarriers include equipment and consumables. Equipment products related to microcarriers are utilized to modify the rates and efficiency of cell attachment, facilitating adherence for various cell types. Microcarriers come in different types, including cationic microcarriers, collagen-coated microcarriers, protein-coated microcarriers, untreated microcarriers, and other types utilizing materials such as alginate-based, collagen-based, dextran-based, polystyrene-based, and others. These microcarriers find applications in vaccine manufacturing, cell therapy, and other processes. They are used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, research institutes, and Contract Research Organizations (CROs).

The microcarrier market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides microcarrier market statistics, including microcarrier industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a microcarrier market share, detailed microcarrier market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the microcarrier industry. This microcarrier market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The microcarrier market consist of sales of gelatin-based, plastic-based and glass-based microcarrier. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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