GROWTH AHEAD FOR LABORATORY ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Despite the economic recession throughout Europe which is having an impact on these markets, the application of AI in the assessment of product quality and reduction of costs is an area where these instruments continue to justify investment, especially with a view to implementing ISO 9000 manufacturing norms.

In addition, environmental controls and occupational safety are two areas where needs will develop, both as a result of new regulations and the stricter enforcement of regulations in general.

These are just some of the conclusions of three new reports by international market research publisher Frost & Sullivan studying the European market for laboratory analytical instruments between 1992 and 1998.

The reports cover chromatographs and LIMS, spectrophotometers and spectrometers and magnetic field, thermal and other analysers.

The report analysing chromatographs and LIMS (1848) forecasts that this market will rise from its 1993 value of $595.5 million to reach $884.7 million by the end of the study period in 1998, representing a growth rate of 8.2 per cent, which is well above the forecast for overall economic growth in Western Europe.

The product markets are dominated by HPLC, accounting for 37.6 per cent of the total 1993 market, closely followed by Gas Chromatographs (GC), representing a 34.5 per cent share of the market in the same year.

Frost & Sullivan reports: "HPLC equipment is extensively used in both research and routine analyses in biotechnology, pollution control, clinical analysis and forensic applications; and the chemical, fine chemical, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries".

According to the study, highest growth is expected to be experienced in the market for other chromatographs and LIMS, with an estimated 15.9 per cent and 8.5 per cent respectively.

Lower growth rates are forecast for HPLC at 7.5 per cent and gas chromatographs at 6.7 per cent.

In terms of end-user categories, the pharmaceutical and the chemicals industry together account for 43 per cent of total 1993 sales.

The report on spectrophotometers and spectrometers (1849) forecasts that this market will rise from $415.1 million in 1993 to reach $520.4 million by the end of the study period in 1998.

The largest product sector within this market, estimated to have been worth $98.7 million in 1993 - accounting for 23.8 per cent of the market - and forecast to reach $126.4 million by the end of the period under review, is UV-Vis Spectrophotometers.

The highest growth rates are expected to be experienced in the ICP spectrometers market with an estimated 7.9 per cent, followed by spectrofluorometers at 7 per cent.

Reviewing the prospects for end-user markets, the most significant sector with 34 per cent of the total estimated spectrophotometer and spectrometer purchases is educational/academic research, ranking first in all five spectrophotometer categories and in XRD spectrometers.

The third report, analysing the market for magnetic field, thermal and other analysers (1850), forecasts overall growth from $495.6 million in 1993 to $617 million in 1998.

Magnetic field instruments - including hyphenated MS systems such as GC-MS and ICP-MS instruments - account for 45.8 per cent of the 1993 market, followed by surface analysis instruments representing 25.6 per cent of the market in the same year.

Again, the education/academic sector is the largest application, providing 37 per cent of the total market, followed by the pharmaceutical and other chemical industries, with 13 per cent each. Frost & Sullivan is an international high-technology research firm. All Frost & Sullivan reports are based on extensive interviews with marketing and technical experts from selected companies in each market segment. Primary research is validated by thorough analysis of available secondary research. Frost & Sullivan is the leading publisher worldwide of high-technology research reports.

Code: 1848/1849/1850-50 Publication Date: 1994 Price: $1950 each

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