Irradiation Sterilization Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Medical Instruments, Drug, Food & Laboratory), By Product Type (Gamma Irradiation, X-ray Irradiation), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global irradiation sterilization services market size was valued at USD 2.08 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.53% from 2023 to 2030. The irradiation sterilization service market is rapidly growing, providing a variety of sterilization services using irradiation technology. This market includes companies that use different sources of ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays, electron beams, and X-rays, to sterilize a range of products, including medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, food, and consumer goods.

According to recent research reports, the global market for irradiation sterilization services is expected to experience significant growth due to increased demand for sterilization services, especially in the healthcare industry. For instance, according to OECD data released in June 2022, Portugal had 93,857 cataract operations in 2021, followed by Denmark with 49,308 and Ireland with 32,844. This creates a greater requirement to effectively sterilize surgical equipment, hospital rooms, & the environment due to the increased number of surgeries conducted in clinics and hospitals.

Over the projection period, this factor is expected to propel the segment's expansion. The market is primarily driven by the increasing demand for sterile medical products, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to an increased focus on infection control and has highlighted the importance of sterilization in ensuring the safety of medical products and devices. This has led to a surge in demand for irradiation sterilization services, especially for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical equipment.

Furthermore, throughout the forecast period, the market expansion is anticipated to be accelerated by expanding business activities in the introduction of efficient sterilizing services. For instance, Unimech Healthcare introduced UniClean in April 2021, a suite of products to stop "Workplace Sickness" and "Crowd Spread Infections." It uses cloud-based technology to sterilize air and surfaces in workplaces, factories, hospitals, and other locations and make them 99.99% virus-free.

Additionally, STERIS purchased Cantel in June 2021. This acquisition helps the business broaden its selection of services and solutions for infection prevention, primarily to the endoscopic and dental industries. Overall, irradiation sterilization service is an industry with significant potential for growth in the coming years, driven by increasing demand for sterilization services in the healthcare and food industries, as well as the increasing awareness of the importance of sterilization in maintaining public health and safety.

Another factor driving the growth of the market is the increasing demand for irradiation sterilization services in the food industry. Irradiation is widely used in the food industry to eliminate harmful bacteria and other microorganisms, which helps in increasing the shelf life of food products and improving food safety.

Application Insights

The medical instruments segment held the largest share of 31.05% of the global market in 2022.Hospital-acquired infections are more common, and there are more surgeries requiring highly intensive infection prevention and control. The primary factors driving the global market include the rising geriatric population, and an increase in government awareness campaigns to assure high levels of infection prevention. Growing cases of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and respiratory problems are also expected to support market development over the forecast period.

Healthcare-associated infection is most likely to affect the growing elderly and pediatric populations, as well as patients in intensive care units. The demand for properly sterilized medical equipment, along with additional products, is predicted to drive market expansion. For instance, according to a March 2022 article in the Annals of Critical Care, the rising global population is predicted to result in a growth in the number of elderly patients admitted to critical care units (ICUs). This is expected to propel the demand for medical instruments and further boost the segment growth.

Product Type Insights

The gamma irradiation segment held the largest share of 45.96% of the global market in 2022. The high penetrating capability of gamma irradiation, which enables delivery of the intended radiation dose to parts of a product that may be denser, is an essential characteristic. In addition, when it comes to treating a wide range of products with different densities, gamma irradiation is secure, reliable, and extremely effective.

Gamma irradiation aids the production and distribution process by enabling final packaged products as well as the raw material demands, assuring complete sterility of the product. Products can be penetrated while sealed in their final packaging. This factor is expected to propel the market growth.

The X-ray irradiation segment is expected to grow at a lucrative rate during the forecast period. Photon radiation is used in the X-ray irradiation process for several purposes, such as sterilization, decontamination, and material modification. Regarding dense products, the X-ray technique offers exceptional penetration and is compatible with most materials. When treating products with different densities, X-ray irradiation is risk-free, dependable, and incredibly efficient. It is a feasible processing technique for various items due to its reduced exposure period and better Dose Uniformity Ratio (DUR).

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest share of 41.22% of the irradiation sterilization services market in 2022, because of its well-developed healthcare infrastructure, Due to factors like rising cases of hospital-acquired infections, advancements in technology in healthcare facilities, high patient admission rates, the region's strong industry player presence, increased government funding, growing public awareness of available technologies, and the high concentration of market players in the U.S., the North America region is predicted to dominate the market.

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a lucrative rate during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increased use of sterilization technology, growth of the R&D industry, expansion of healthcare reforms, and improvements in medical device manufacturing technology in the region. Additionally, a large population base and an increase in funding from the public and private sectors for infection prevention and control both support the regional market's expansion.

The region's highest CAGR is anticipated to be gained in China and India, two economically developing nations that are regarded as significant contributors to healthcare spending. On the other hand, due to improving healthcare infrastructure, increased public awareness, and other factors, industry development in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa is still in its nascent stages.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The continuous demand for irradiation sterilization services by multiple end-users has created numerous market opportunities for major players to capitalize on. For instance, in May  2022, Sterigenics broadened its electron beam facility situated in Columbia City, Indiana. The Sterigenics Columbia City facility offers essential E-beam sterilization services in order to ensure the safety of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment used throughout the global healthcare industry. Some prominent players in the global irradiation sterilization services market include:

• STERIS

• Röchling Group

• Sterigenics

• Scapa Healthcare

• Swann-Morton

• SteriTek

• Beta-Gamma-Service

• Taisei Kako

• China Biotech Corporation

• Ionisos

• E-BEAM Services

Recent Developments

• In May 2023, E-BEAM Services, Inc. introduced the STAT Sterilization Validation services with electron beam (E-beam) technology. These services offer a wide range of options to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to sterilize their products efficiently using electron beam technology.

• In February 2023, STERIS announced the construction of a new X-ray radiation processing facility in Germany to complement its existing E-beam and gamma testing facilities. This new facility was developed to offer sterilization and laboratory testing options and ensure patient safety through these technology-neutral services.

• In May 2022, Sterigenics announced the expansion of its electron beam (E-beam) facility located in Columbia to support healthcare industry needs. This facility was purposed to increase the capacity for the sterilization of medical and pharmaceutical products to ensure the safety of medical devices across the healthcare industry.

Irradiation Sterilization Services Market Report Scope

Global Irradiation Sterilization Services Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global irradiation sterilization services market report based on application, product type, and region:

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Medical Instruments

  • Drug

  • Food & Laboratory

  • Others

• Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Gamma Irradiation

  • X-ray Irradiation

  • E-beam Irradiation

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

    • Thailand

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Kuwait