Optical Microscopes Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Optical Microscopes Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The optical microscopes market was valued at USD 2,332.66 million in 2021, and it is expected to record a CAGR of 5.65% over the forecast period, 2022-2027.

The advancement of optical microscopes helps in the detection and identification COVID-19 virus morphology, where optical microscopy is highly used. According to the news Medical Science Publication a study by Ramya Dwivedi from the National Chemical Laboratories (CSIR-NCL) in Pune, in 2020, the study revealed the 3D ultrastructure of human airway cells of COVID-19 virus, which concluded that ultrastructural analyses of viral infection are hampered by the disruption of recognizable morphological features in late stages of viral infection, which precludes identification based on morphology and necessitates immunolabeling of specific proteins to obtain a molecular understanding. Thus, due to the rising mutation and different variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus, the use of optical microscopes for COVID-19 detection will remain relevant. According to the article published in Microscopy Australia 2020, the University of Queensland’s facility is supporting COVID-19 work by providing microscopy to the vaccine development group. Optical microscopy and staff expertise at the University of South Australia are being used to develop methodologies, equipment, and to test the quality and effectiveness of locally manufactured personal protective equipment.​

The major factors attributing to the growth of the optical microscopes market include technological advancements in the optical microscopes and increasing funding for research and development in cell biology and biotechnology. Optical microscopes are used in many research areas comprising microbiology, microelectronics, nanophysics, biotechnology, laboratories in educational institutes, and pharmaceutical research. They are also used to view biological samples for medical diagnosis in diagnostic centers.

Various strategic initiatives are undertaken by the major players. These include mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, partnerships, and product launches. For instance, in October 2020, Takagi Ophthalmic Instruments Europe Ltd launched the OM-6 Operating Microscope. OM-6 is the most excellent entry-level operating microscope, offering the world’s first LED light source in the entry-level/compact ophthalmic operating microscope. Collaboration in the segment is considered as a win-win situation for all parties involved. To broaden their life science applications, companies like Carl Zeiss and BioTek Instruments are producing products with integrated automated systems. As new advanced goods with faster performance and simple sample preparation techniques are created, product demand is expected to rise.​

The global optical microscope market is expected to expand at a substantial rate, driven by an increase in demand from innovation science. However, limitations of optical microscope compared to the electron microscope and low-cost products by small scale manufacturers are the reasons expected to restrain the optical microscopes market during the forecast period.

The academic institutes are the educational institutions dedicated to education and research, and thereby grant academic degrees. Research institutes provide facilities to scholars and scientists so that new innovations and novel techniques are done.​ The medical research institutes are found performing numerous researches and using microscopes for different purposes. These researches are conducted across the world, which is propelling the growth of the segment. ​

Additionally, the knowledge of using microscopes has become indispensable for basic biological research and also in medical research such as for infectious diseases research. It allows researchers to identify changes in cells, associations with disease and change in structure, and thus, aid in identifying potential disease targets. It enables the researchers to detect a variety of small particles that can aid in understanding the physiological and pathological effects of microorganisms on an individual’s health.​

Due to the onset on the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of research using optical microscopes for studying the virus. For instance, in December 2020, an article titled, ‘Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Detection and Classification Using Phase Imaging with Computational Specificity’ was published by Neha Goswami et al., and others in the bioRxiv pre-print journal. For their study, the researchers used a Nikon Eclipse Ti inverted microscope fitted with a SLIM module to allow for fully automated data acquisition. Thus, research studies like these where microscopes are used are expected to boost the market growth.​

Moreover, most of the academic institutes are establishing full-fledged research facilities in their campus that have different types of microscopes. For instance, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, of McGill University, is equipped with various different microscopes with robotics for uses in different application areas like disease research, sample preparation, and other laboratory activities. The availability of advanced microscopic tools is expected to boost the market’s growth during the forecast period.​ Thus, due to the above-mentioned factors, the market is expected to see robust growth.​

North America is expected to dominate the overall optical microscopes market throughout the forecast period. This is due to factors such as strong research and development activities conducted in the region. In the North America region, the United States holds the largest market share due to the factors such as large demand from the country’s life sciences and material sciences application market. Furthermore, high GDP and growing investment are likely to have a positive impact on the growth of the North American optical microscopes market in the coming years.

For instance, as per the June 2021 report National Institute of Health, the total budget of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC) was USD 2.9 billion in 2020, and it is expected to increase in 2021 at an estimated value of USD 3.2 billion and USD 3.3 billion in 2022.

Also, in December 2020, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced nearly USD 32 million in funding to support biomedical imaging researchers, technology development, and the BioImaging North America international network of bioimaging facilities and communities. This includes increasing collaboration between biologists and technology experts, improving microscopy tools and expanding access to these tools, and supporting increased training and community building, thereby, helping in driving the growth of the studied market.​

Moreover, in the life science segment, the use of optical microscopy devices in the identification and diagnosis of microorganisms and viruses causing diseases in humans, animals, or plants is increasing, which will complement the growth of the market. Aid from government agencies for research and development activities further accelerates the growth of the market. For instance, in August 2020, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded 11 grants with a total first-year value of approximately USD 17 million to establish the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID). This will involve multidisciplinary investigations on viruses and other disease causing microorganisms. NIAID also intends to provide approximately USD 82 million over five years to support the network. ​

Thus, owing to the growing R&D in the field of optical microscopy in the United States, supported by the regulatory authority and continuous launch of new technologically advanced techniques, the optical microscopes market is expected to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period.​

The optical microscopes market is moderately competitive and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players are currently dominating the market. Some of the companies that are currently dominating the market are Carl Zeiss AG, Leica Microsystems, Meiji Techno, Nikon Instruments Inc., Olympus Corporation, Labomed, Inc., Oxford Instruments Asylum Research Inc., Bruker, and CAMECA.

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