Single Use Bioreactor Market Overview

The single-use bioreactor market is projected to witness remarkable growth between 2025 and 2033, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality biopharmaceuticals, which has prompted manufacturers to adopt single-use technologies. Valued at approximately USD 3.8 billion in 2025, the market is expected to reach USD 10.5 billion by 2033, reflecting a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.7% over the forecast period.

Single-use bioreactors (SUBs) are advanced disposable systems primarily used in biopharmaceutical production for cell culture and the development of biologics such as monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and gene therapies. Unlike traditional stainless-steel bioreactors, SUBs utilize sterilized plastic bags housed in rigid containers, significantly reducing the need for cleaning and sterilization, thereby cutting operational costs and turnaround times.

These systems support flexible manufacturing and are ideal for small-batch, multi-product production environments, particularly during early-stage development, clinical trials, and research applications. SUBs are available in various configurations—stirred-tank, wave-induced, and bubble-column—each tailored for specific cell lines like mammalian, bacterial, or yeast. Their advantages, including reduced contamination risks, lower capital requirements, and ease of scalability, have made them widely popular among contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), biotech firms, and pharmaceutical companies.

The market’s recent surge is largely attributed to the rising demand for biologics and a shift toward modular and adaptable biomanufacturing facilities. While North America and Europe currently lead in adoption due to well-established biotechnology sectors, the Asia-Pacific region is emerging as a high-growth area. However, challenges such as material compatibility, waste management, and large-scale capacity limitations still need to be addressed. Overall, single-use bioreactors represent a transformative advancement in bioprocessing—offering faster development timelines, cost efficiency, and greater manufacturing flexibility.

Single Use Bioreactor Market Drivers and Opportunities

Surging Demand for Biologics and Personalized Therapies to Propel the Single-Use Bioreactor Market

The growing need for biologics—such as monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, and gene therapies—is a primary driver of the single-use bioreactor (SUB) market. These advanced therapeutics require tightly controlled, sterile production environments, which SUBs provide through their pre-sterilized and disposable components. As pharmaceutical companies increasingly focus on personalized medicine, which demands small-scale, adaptable manufacturing, SUBs offer significant advantages. Their rapid setup and reduced downtime facilitate faster production cycles, making them ideal for meeting the evolving and varied needs of biologic manufacturing.

Efficiency in Cost and Time Accelerates Global Adoption of Single-Use Bioreactors

Single-use bioreactors offer substantial cost savings by eliminating the need for extensive infrastructure, cleaning, sterilization, and validation requirements typical of traditional stainless-steel systems. This cost-effectiveness makes them particularly attractive to emerging biotech firms and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). In addition to reducing capital expenditure, SUBs minimize the risk of cross-contamination and streamline workflows by removing the need for complex cleaning between batches. Their flexibility and rapid deployment capabilities are critical advantages in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive pharmaceutical landscape.

Opportunity for the Single Use Bioreactor Market

Expansion in Emerging Markets Presents a Major Opportunity for the Global Single-Use Bioreactor Market

Emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China offer substantial growth potential for the adoption of single-use bioreactors (SUBs). These countries are making significant investments in life sciences infrastructure and encouraging domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. SUBs present an ideal solution for these markets, offering a cost-effective and scalable option to establish or expand bioproduction facilities without the high capital requirements of traditional systems. Their portability, rapid setup, and minimal operational demands make them particularly well-suited for regions building out new biotech capabilities.

Single Use Bioreactor Market Scope

Single Use Bioreactor Market Report Segmentation Analysis

The global Single Use Bioreactor Market industry analysis is segmented by Product, by Type, by Usage Type, by end-user, and by region.

Single-use Bioreactor Systems hold a major share in the Single Use Bioreactor Market

Single-use bioreactor systems account for the largest share of the overall single-use bioreactor market due to their pivotal role in modern bioproduction. These systems typically include a disposable bag, integrated sensors, mixing mechanisms, and control units, enabling aseptic and efficient cell culture without the need for cleaning or sterilization. Their widespread adoption is driven by the growing demand for biologics and the industry’s shift toward flexible, cost-effective manufacturing approaches. Favored for both clinical and commercial production, these systems offer reduced risk of cross-contamination, faster setup, and lower operational costs. Moreover, advancements in bioprocess monitoring and automation have enhanced the capabilities of single-use systems, allowing high productivity with consistent product quality. Contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and biotech firms especially benefit from the ability to run multiple processes simultaneously without heavy infrastructure investment, making these systems foundational to flexible and scalable biomanufacturing.

Stirred-Tank SUBs Lead Among Single-Use Bioreactor Types

Stirred-tank single-use bioreactors (SUBs) hold the dominant position among bioreactor types, thanks to their broad applicability, scalability, and compatibility with various cell lines. Modeled after traditional stainless-steel stirred-tank designs, they combine familiar mixing dynamics with the benefits of disposable components. These bioreactors are particularly efficient for culturing mammalian cells used in the production of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins. Their ability to precisely control parameters such as pH, oxygen levels, and temperature ensures consistent and reproducible culture conditions. Scalable from lab-scale to full commercial production, stirred-tank SUBs are widely used across drug development phases. Their ease of integration, minimal retraining requirements, and compatibility with a range of process analytics tools make them a top choice for both industrial and research settings. Their reliability and flexibility continue to make them the preferred option for large-scale biologics production.

Pilot-Scale Production Usage Type Dominating in Single-Use Bioreactor Market

Pilot-scale production plays a pivotal role in bridging laboratory research and commercial manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical lifecycle. Single-use bioreactors are essential at this stage, allowing manufacturers to optimize and validate processes at a scale that mirrors industrial performance while retaining flexibility for modifications. The dominance of pilot-scale usage in the SUB market stems from its critical application in testing new biologics, biosimilars, and personalized medicines that require agile and efficient development. SUBs at this scale help reduce risk and cost through faster batch cycles and simplified cleaning processes. They also support rapid scale-up, enabling timely market entry—especially important in high-value areas such as oncology and vaccine development. These systems are especially favored by CMOs and emerging biotech startups due to their low infrastructure requirements yet dependable, GMP-compliant performance. Their strong performance at the pilot stage often ensures a smoother transition to commercial-scale production, reinforcing their strategic value across the biomanufacturing pipeline.

The following segments are part of an in-depth analysis of the global Single Use Bioreactor Market:

Single-Use Bioreactor Market Share Analysis by Region

North America is projected to hold the largest share of the global single-use bioreactor Market over the forecast period.

North America is poised to lead the global single-use bioreactor (SUB) market, driven by its well-established biopharmaceutical industry, advanced healthcare infrastructure, and substantial investment in research and development. The region is home to numerous leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies that are early adopters of innovative bioprocessing technologies like single-use systems to improve operational efficiency, reduce production timelines, and maintain high product quality.

Supportive government policies, favorable regulatory frameworks, and strong public-private collaboration further enhance the region’s ability to innovate and commercialize biologics, driving the demand for scalable and flexible manufacturing solutions such as SUBs. Major players like Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher Corporation, and GE Healthcare, with their robust presence in the U.S., contribute significantly to market growth through continuous product development and strategic partnerships.

Additionally, the surge in clinical trial activity and the region’s rapid response to public health demands—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—have amplified the adoption of SUBs for vaccine and therapeutic manufacturing. Smaller biotech firms and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) across North America also prefer single-use systems due to their cost efficiency, operational simplicity, and adaptability across various production scales.

Single-Use Bioreactor Market Competition Landscape Analysis

The market is competitive, with several established players and new entrants offering a range of single-use bioreactor products. Some of the key players are Sartorius AG, Danaher Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck KGaA, Eppendorf SE, Repligen Corporation, Lonza Group, ABEC Inc., and Others.

Global Single Use Bioreactor Market Recent Developments News:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific launched a 5L DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactor in April 2025, expanding its portfolio to cater to large biopharma, CDMOs, and small biotech firms. The benchtop unit, compatible with the HyPerforma G3Lab Controller, offers scalable and cost-effective bioprocessing.
• Cytiva expanded its Xcellerex X-platform in March 2025 by introducing 500-L and 2000-L bioreactors, enabling easier scale-up for next-gen therapeutic manufacturing from 50L to 2000 L.
• In June 2024, AGC Biologics completed a major facility expansion in Copenhagen, doubling its single-use bioreactor capacity for mammalian cell production. The 19,000 m² state-of-the-art building adds manufacturing, QC, and development labs, supporting 150 additional drug product batches annually.

The global single use bioreactor market is dominated by a few large companies, such as

●        Sartorius AG

●        Danaher Corporation

●        Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

●        Merck KGaA

●        Eppendorf SE

●        Getinge AB

●        Pall Corporation

●        Repligen Corporation

●        Lonza Group

●        ABEC Inc.

●        Applikon Biotechnology

●        PBS Biotech Inc.

●        Distek Inc.

●        Saint-Gobain

●        OmniBRx Biotechnologies

●        Other Prominent Players