According to industry estimates, the global market for
microscopes and accessories is literally thriving. Around 4 years back it
was pegged at $1.65 billion (€1.34 billion) and is expected to touch
$2.77 billion in the year 2009, with a healthy average annual growth
rate(AAR) of around 11%. Leading the pack is the charged particle
microscopes forming the largest segment of the market, with a share of 40
per cent and above. Charged particle microscopes are also one the
fastest-growing product in the microscopy sector with an AAGR of 13 per
cent.
Optical microscopes though forming the second largest segment, but have
registered the lowest growth rate, thus fueling a concern that it will lose
significantly its market share over the coming five years. Scanning probe
microscopes in the year 2003 was not able to garner more than 10 per cent of
the market share but is projected to have the highest AAGR of around 20 per
cent through 2009.
Fuelling the boost in the microscopy business is the recent technological
breakthroughs. Advancements in the form of large-scale digitalisation and
image reconstruction and restoration is bearing a positive impact on the
market. Pharmaceutical industries already one of the largest consumer of
laboratory equipment is leading in the demand for more sophisticated
microscopic instrumentation. The microscope market can be effectively
classified into the clinical and research sub-markets, with . the clinical
market being the biggest and most profitable. Let us see some of the latest
technological trends taking place in the microscopy business.
Technological
Trends in the Microscopy Business
- Computerisation of Microscopic Procedures : With this step
the manufacturers are now able to produce lenses that has minimal
distortion, higher resolution, and better colour rendition,thus leading
to a greater precision in imaging quality.
- Ready-to-Use Modular Systems : Most of the microscope
manufacturers are offering the option of ready-to-use modular systems.
Here the researchers have the flexibility to pick and choose the
components they need and get easy modifications done.
- Integration of Systems : Manufacturers are now beginning to
understand the market advantages of integration. That is the why they
are now offering total systems designed specifically for a particular
application. To give an example, non-destructive testing of materials or
live-cell imaging when merged with binding or chemical analysis are
lapped up by researchers due to the cost-effectiveness of the
combination.
- Custom-Assembled Systems : Custom-assembled systems, which
are designed to user specifications, hold an appeal to many research
scientists. So offering custom assembled systems facilitate end users to
incorporate existing workflows or equipment.
Future Prediction for the Microscopy Market
The future seems bright for the microscopy market. It is expected to grow
uniformly, especially after increasing automation process and the consequent
easy to handle equipment. However the R&D process of microscopy
equipment can be hindered due to tighter research budgets owing to less
budgetary allocation by the government along with the high cost of
instruments. For fueling the growth in the microscope sector, development in
the electron and confocal microscopy, laser scanning cytometry coupled with
the progress in the quantum dots arena is expected to play a major role. And
last but not the least increased funding of the government on nanotechnology
research, of which microscopy instrumentation is an integral component is
also the harbinger of the growth for this market.
