This report provides:
- An overview for the global market for microfluidic technologies, which deal with the movement of small amounts of fluids
- Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2011 and 2012, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2017
- A thorough evaluation of the technical and business environment surrounding the emerging microfluidic systems market
- Examination of the current and potential applications of the technologies and an assessment of their importance in the context of emerging market paradigms
- The trends that will shape the future of microfluidic technologies and markets, and their impact
- A patent analysis for new and emerging technologies
- Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.
Report Scope
Introduction
Microfluidics is a set of technologies that deal with the movement of small amounts of fluid. The field has been developing for more than two decades, but most of the early development, while intense, was in isolated modules. More recently, scientists have been putting the pieces together into systems, leading to new applications and rapid market growth.
Study Goals and Objectives
This report covers the major markets and applications for microfluidics-based products and technologies. The current state of the market as defined is assessed, and projections for growth and advancements in technology along with market trends are detailed. The major objectives of this report are:
- To provide a thorough evaluation of the technical and business environment surrounding the emerging microfluidic systems market.
- To review the technologies, the related sub-technologies and alternative technologies in light of the emerging needs of the relevant markets.
- To examine the current and potential applications of microfluidic technologies and assess their importance in the context of emerging market paradigms.
- To describe the spectrum of microfluidics-related products currently on the market and in development.
- To provide an overview of the current microfluidics market in terms of scale and competitive structure.
- To assess the future of the microfluidics market in terms of growth potential for various product and application segments.
- To examine the trends that will shape the future of microfluidics technologies and markets, and to examine their impacts.
Reasons for Doing the Study
BCC published its last survey of the microfluidics industry in 2006. Since then, microfluidics products and applications on the market and under development have grown and diversified rapidly.
In addition to the resulting business opportunities, microfluidics is a key enabler of micro-synthesis, micro-separations and labs-on-a-chip. It is expected that microfluidics will continue to revolutionize the fields of chemistry and biology, speed the development of new drugs and methods for administering them, and improve the cost/performance ratio of computers and other electronic devices, to name but a few of the possibilities. Thus, BCC believes that the time is right to re-examine this important market.
Scope and Format
This report addresses the global market for microfluidics devices and applications, from 2011 (base year) through 2017. Microfluidic devices are defined, in general terms, as devices that handle very small (e.g., micro- or nanoliter) volumes of fluids.
The study format includes the following major elements:
- Executive summary.
- Definitions.
- Microfluidic components and systems.
- Microfluidic fabrication technologies
- Major end-user markets and applications.
- Global microfluidic market trends, 2011–2017.
- Industry structure, market shares and ownership trends.
- Factors that will influence the long-term development of microfluidic technologies.
Methodology and Information Sources
Projecting the market for emerging technologies such as microfluidic technologies, whose commercial potential has not yet been proven, is a challenging task. This report uses a multi-phase approach to identify the technologies with the greatest commercial potential and quantify the market for these applications, as described below.
In the first phase of the analysis, we identified a “long list” of microfluidic technologies (including technologies that are still under development) and mapped them against potential applications and end-user industries, such as life sciences research, drug discovery and medical diagnostics.
In the second phase, we eliminated those technologies that appear to have little likelihood of making it into commercial production in the next five years, through a literature review and statements by industry sources. The result of phase two was a “short list” of technologies and applications with the greatest near- to mid-term commercial potential.
The third phase focused on quantifying the potential market for each short-listed technology and application and identifying the main prerequisites for commercial success. Various methodologies and data sources were used to develop the market projections, including trend line projections, input-output analysis and estimates of future demand from industry sources.