Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The Europe molecular diagnostics market size stands at USD 3.76 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 5.77 billion by 2030, expanding at an 8.96% CAGR. Adoption of precision-medicine protocols, full enforcement of the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR), and stable funding for antimicrobial-resistance surveillance shape this outlook[1]European Commission, “Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices,” ec.europa.eu. Point-of-care (POC) platforms reduce diagnostic turnaround to under an hour, while next-generation sequencing (NGS) moves routine testing from single-gene PCR toward comprehensive genomic profiling. NGS run costs, now below USD 500 per whole exome, make high-throughput sequencing affordable for mid-tier laboratories. Artificial-intelligence (AI) engines that optimize primer and probe design shorten assay-development cycles, attracting venture funding in Germany, the Netherlands, and France. Together, these factors reinforce the Europe molecular diagnostics market as a cornerstone of hospital modernization programs across the region.
Key Report Takeaways
- By technology, PCR commanded 39.43% revenue share in 2024, while sequencing is projected to expand at a 9.65% CAGR through 2030.
- By application, infectious-disease diagnostics led with a 46.53% share in 2024; oncology and liquid biopsy tests are advancing at a 9.76% CAGR over 2025-2030.
- By product, reagents and kits generated 54.32% of 2024 sales, whereas software and services are growing fastest at a 9.12% CAGR.
- By end-user, hospitals and hospital laboratories accounted for 41.34% of 2024 revenue; point-of-care and near-patient settings are rising at a 10.32% CAGR.
- By sample type, blood and plasma specimens represented 42.34% of 2024 testing volume, while urine and other body fluids are set to grow at an 8.54% CAGR.
- By test setting, centralized laboratories held 55.43% share in 2024 and are expected to progress at an 8.76% CAGR through 2030.
- By country, Germany captured 23.54% of regional revenue in 2024; Spain is anticipated to post the highest growth at a 9.43% CAGR during the forecast period.
Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market Trends and Insights
Driver Impact Analysis
| Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rising adoption of point-of-care molecular assays | +2.1% | EU-wide; strongest in Germany, Netherlands, Nordic countries | Medium term (2 – 4 years) |
| Advances in NGS and pharmacogenomics platforms | +1.8% | Western Europe core; expanding to Central/Eastern Europe | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Surge in EU-wide antimicrobial-resistance surveillance mandates | +1.2% | All EU-27 member states | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| IVDR-driven demand for CE-IVD companion diagnostics | +0.9% | EU-wide | Medium term (2 – 4 years) |
| Growth of AI-assisted primer and probe design startups | +0.7% | Innovation hubs: Germany, UK, France, Netherlands | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| EU4Health and cohesion-funded lab-modernization programs | +0.6% | Central and Eastern Europe | Medium term (2 – 4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Rising Adoption of Point-of-Care Molecular Assays
Europe’s hospitals now place cartridge-based PCR and isothermal devices in emergency and outpatient units, cutting respiratory-pathogen turnaround from 24 hours to 45 minutes. German tertiary centers report that 60% of emergency departments use POC molecular panels for sepsis triage by 2024. Integrated analyzers upload results directly to electronic records, enabling antibiotic stewardship teams to adjust therapy within a single shift. Scandinavian primary-care clinics pilot near-patient multiplex panels for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2, reinforcing epidemiologic surveillance. Vendors respond with ruggedized instruments validated for bedside operation, barcoded reagent tracking, and secure cloud dashboards that meet GDPR requirements.
Advances in NGS & Pharmacogenomics Platforms
Sequencing consumable prices dropped 38% between 2023 and 2025, enabling mid-tier labs to offer 500-gene oncology panels under EUR 450 per sample (USD 489). Liquid-biopsy assays detect minimal residual disease months before imaging, prompting therapy adjustments without invasive tissue sampling. The European Medicines Agency now lists 28 companion diagnostics requiring NGS—double the 2022 count—which accelerates test-menu expansion. French payers reimburse CYP450 and DPYD panels, improving antidepressant and fluoropyrimidine safety. Eastern European reference labs outsource bioinformatics to cloud pipelines hosted in Frankfurt and Dublin, bypassing local skill shortages while meeting data-residency rules. Collectively, these factors propel the Europe molecular diagnostics market toward data-rich oncology workflows.
Surge in EU-wide Antimicrobial-Resistance Surveillance Mandates
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) requires genomic typing of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus across all member states. EU4Health funding covers sequencer procurement, staff training, and external-quality schemes. National reference labs in Poland, Romania, and Hungary integrate robotic sample prep to meet weekly quotas, feeding data to the ECDC’s surveillance dashboard. Automated PCR systems now include 384-well plates and barcode readers to standardize protocols between decentralized sites. These mandates inject consistent demand across the Europe molecular diagnostics market, sustaining test volumes even during non-pandemic cycles.
IVDR-Driven Demand for CE-IVD Companion Diagnostics
Full IVDR enforcement in May 2022 establishes clear performance-classification rules that favor manufacturers with robust clinical-evidence portfolios. Pharmaceutical sponsors co-develop CE-IVD companion diagnostics alongside targeted therapies, securing synchronized approvals. Roche partnered with oncology drug developers to add EGFR and BRAF assays to its automated slide-staining line, reinforcing one-vendor procurement convenience. Laboratories value harmonized performance standards, easing multi-country test adoption. Over the forecast window, companion diagnostics are set to expand from oncology into cardiology and rare-disease domains, enlarging the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
Restraints Impact Analysis
| Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirement for high-complexity testing infrastructure | -1.4% | Eastern Europe; rural regions across EU | Medium term (2 – 4 years) |
| Fragmented payer reimbursement across EU-27 | -0.8% | Variable by member state; most acute in Southern/Eastern Europe | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Shortage of certified molecular bioinformaticians | -0.6% | EU-wide; especially Central/Eastern Europe | Medium term (2 – 4 years) |
| IVDR compliance cost burden for small laboratories | -0.5% | EU-wide | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Requirement for High-Complexity Testing Infrastructure
Advanced workflows need ISO 15189 accreditation, biosafety cabinets, and precision thermocyclers—assets scarce outside Western Europe[2]World Health Organization Europe, “Laboratory Infrastructure Gaps,” who.int. In 2024, demand for clinical bioinformaticians exceeded supply by 40%, delaying report sign-off in many Eastern European labs. Limited broadband hampers cloud pipelines in rural districts. EU cohesion funds finance upgrades, yet disbursement cycles stretch to five years. These infrastructure gaps temper near-term uptake, moderating the Europe molecular diagnostics market’s reach in less-resourced regions.
Fragmented Payer Reimbursement Across EU-27
Each member state runs separate health-technology-assessment (HTA) bodies, creating 27 reimbursement pathways. Spain and Italy bundle reagents, interpretation, and counseling into single tariffs, while Greece reimburses per-reaction PCR only. Companion diagnostics can wait 18–24 months for tariff assignment after CE-IVD approval, straining cash flow for smaller firms. Divergent evidence thresholds force duplicative utility studies, complicating price-volume negotiations and stalling diffusion of new tests across the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
Segment Analysis
By Technology: PCR Dominance Faces Sequencing Disruption
PCR platforms generated USD 1.48 billion in 2024, equal to 39.43% of the Europe molecular diagnostics market size. Syndromic respiratory and sepsis panels remain anchored in qPCR due to mature workflows. Sequencing outpaces all technologies at a 9.65% CAGR, capturing oncology and infectious-disease tie-outs. Oxford Nanopore’s portable sequencers type meningitis pathogens in 45 minutes, encouraging hybrid strategies in which rapid PCR rules out common infections and on-demand NGS clarifies resistance profiles. Mass spectrometry and microarrays retain niches, but AI-enabled reagent design increasingly blurs platform borders, deepening vendor competition across the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Application: Infectious Disease Leadership Challenged by Oncology Growth
Infectious disease assays produced USD 1.75 billion in 2024, or 46.53% of the Europe molecular diagnostics market size. Multiplex panels detect 20+ pathogens per sample, reducing sequential testing. Whole-genome sequencing traces hospital outbreaks, feeding infection-control dashboards. Oncology assays grow at 9.76% CAGR, driven by liquid biopsy and targeted therapy selection. Pharmacogenomics panels cross into psychiatry and cardiology, though payer support lags in Southern Europe. Expanded newborn-screening programs push genetic-disease testing, while antimicrobial-resistance assays integrate qPCR with sequencing to oversee surveillance.
By Product: Reagents Lead; Software Integration Accelerates
Reagents and kits held 54.32% revenue share in 2024, leveraging recurring ordering cycles. Software and services climb 9.12% CAGR as labs adopt subscription-based informatics that translate raw data to clinical reports. GDPR compliance drives demand for European data centers and encryption. Instruments face price compression; however, analyzers that combine automation, multiplexing, and AI-enhanced quality control retain premiums. Service bundles now cover IVDR documentation, external-quality-assessment coordination, and workflow redesign—broadening revenue diversity within the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
By End-User: Hospital Labs Lead While POC Sites Accelerate
Hospital laboratories captured 41.34% market share in 2024, aligning molecular testing with oncology and transplant care. Consolidating pathology across regions delivers scale economies. Point-of-care sites grow 10.32% CAGR: community clinics run STI panels onsite, and mobile units in rural Spain sequence tuberculosis in field conditions. Independent reference labs offer esoteric panels and bioinformatics outsourcing, while academic centers validate next-generation assays ahead of IVDR filing. This layered ecosystem sustains the Europe molecular diagnostics market across centralized and distributed settings.
By Sample Type: Blood Plasma Leadership Faces Diversification
Blood and plasma samples contributed 42.34% revenue in 2024, vital for liquid biopsy and sepsis workflows. Tissue biopsies remain gold standard for solid tumors but face logistic delays. Urine, saliva, and other fluids grow 8.54% CAGR on self-collection programs for HPV and Chlamydia screening. Vendors develop stabilizing buffers that keep nucleic acids intact for seven days at ambient temperature, facilitating mail-in programs and widening the Europe molecular diagnostics market’s reach.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Test Setting: Centralized Labs Maintain Scale; Hybrid Models Emerge
Centralized labs held 55.43% share and mirror the overall 8.76% CAGR, running automation tracks that cut hands-on time by 40%. Hub-and-spoke models let regional clinics perform urgent POC tests while batch-sending complex assays to national centers. Middleware transmits anonymized results to surveillance dashboards, securing epidemiologic coverage. Remote instrument qualification and e-proficiency testing lower compliance costs for spoke sites, embedding hybrid workflows firmly in the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
Geography Analysis
Germany generates 23.54% of regional revenue, anchored by dense tertiary networks, state reimbursement for NGS panels, and export-oriented biotech clusters in Munich and Heidelberg[3]German Federal Ministry of Health, “Digital Diagnostics Funding,” bmg.bund.de. Digital pathology adoption integrates molecular data with whole-slide imaging, streamlining tumor boards. The United Kingdom’s NHS Genomic Medicine Service standardizes 28 gene panels, while France’s Plan France Médecine Génomique funds 500,000 exomes over five years. Italy and Spain tap EU recovery funds for laboratory automation; Spain’s decentralized health system lets autonomous communities pilot NGS platforms, pushing a 9.43% CAGR through 2030. Eastern European recipients of cohesion funds upgrade sequencing lines, yet workforce shortages and reimbursement gaps moderate speed. Collectively, these dynamics solidify the Europe molecular diagnostics market as a mosaic where mature economies anchor volume and emerging regions drive incremental growth.
Competitive Landscape
Roche, Abbott, Thermo Fisher Scientific, QIAGEN, and bioMérieux combine for roughly 58% revenue, delivering integrated hardware–reagent–software stacks that streamline procurement. Oxford Nanopore and Seegene leverage differentiated chemistries and portable devices to challenge incumbents. AI-native platforms offer cloud interpretation, charging per analysed gigabase and addressing bioinformatics shortages. Thermo Fisher’s USD 180 million plant expansion in Germany shores up reagent supply, and Roche’s USD 295 million acquisition of LumiraDx’s portfolio extends cartridge diagnostics into decentralized sites. QIAGEN’s Azure tie-up automates secondary analysis, easing GDPR compliance. Such moves highlight an arms race for full-stack capability across the Europe molecular diagnostics market.
Europe Molecular Diagnostics Industry Leaders
-
Abbott Laboratories
-
Danaher Corporation
-
Agilent Technologies
-
F Hoffmann-la Roche Ltd
-
Hologic Inc.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Recent Industry Developments
- November 2024: Thermo Fisher Scientific invested USD 180 million to scale German production of PCR reagents and NGS consumables.
- October 2024: Seegene forged distribution alliance with Werfen for multiplex molecular platforms targeting infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance.
- July 2024: Roche completed acquisition of LumiraDx’s point-of-care portfolio for USD 295 million, expanding decentralized testing reach across Europe.
Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market Report Scope
Molecular diagnostic tests detect specific sequences in DNA or RNA (including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), deletions, rearrangements, and insertions), which may or may not be associated with diseases.
The European molecular diagnostics market is segmented by technology, application, product, end user, and geography. By technology, the market is segmented into in situ hybridization, chips and microarrays, mass spectrometry (MS), sequencing, PCR, and other technologies. By application, the market is segmented into infectious diseases, oncology, pharmacogenomics, microbiology, genetic disease testing, and other applications. By product, the market is segmented into instruments, reagents, and other products. By end user, the market is segmented into hospitals, laboratories, and other end users. Geographically, the market is segmented into Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and the Rest of Europe. The market report also covers the estimated market sizes and trends in Europe. The report offers market size and forecasts in value (USD) for the above segments.
| In Situ Hybridization |
| Chips and Microarrays |
| Mass Spectrometry (MS) |
| Sequencing |
| PCR |
| Other Technologies |
| Infectious Disease Diagnostics |
| Oncology & Liquid Biopsy |
| Pharmacogenomics |
| Genetic Disease Testing |
| Microbiology & Antimicrobial-Resistance |
| Other Applications |
| Instruments & Analysers |
| Reagents & Kits |
| Software & Services |
| Hospitals & Hospital Labs |
| Independent Reference Laboratories |
| Point-of-Care / Near-Patient Settings |
| Academic & Research Institutes |
| Blood / Plasma |
| Tissue / FFPE |
| Saliva & Buccal Swab |
| Urine & Other Body Fluids |
| Centralised Laboratories |
| Decentralised / POC Sites |
| Germany |
| United Kingdom |
| France |
| Italy |
| Spain |
| Rest of Europe |
| By Technology | In Situ Hybridization |
| Chips and Microarrays | |
| Mass Spectrometry (MS) | |
| Sequencing | |
| PCR | |
| Other Technologies | |
| By Application | Infectious Disease Diagnostics |
| Oncology & Liquid Biopsy | |
| Pharmacogenomics | |
| Genetic Disease Testing | |
| Microbiology & Antimicrobial-Resistance | |
| Other Applications | |
| By Product | Instruments & Analysers |
| Reagents & Kits | |
| Software & Services | |
| By End-user | Hospitals & Hospital Labs |
| Independent Reference Laboratories | |
| Point-of-Care / Near-Patient Settings | |
| Academic & Research Institutes | |
| By Sample Type | Blood / Plasma |
| Tissue / FFPE | |
| Saliva & Buccal Swab | |
| Urine & Other Body Fluids | |
| By Test Setting | Centralised Laboratories |
| Decentralised / POC Sites | |
| By Country | Germany |
| United Kingdom | |
| France | |
| Italy | |
| Spain | |
| Rest of Europe |
Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the projected value of the Europe molecular diagnostics market in 2030?
The market is expected to reach USD 5.77 billion by 2030 given its 8.96% CAGR.
Which technology segment is expanding fastest?
Sequencing platforms are advancing at a 9.65% CAGR on falling run costs and wider oncology use.
Why is Spain the fastest-growing geography?
SpainÕs healthcare investments in laboratory automation and decentralized testing drive a 9.43% CAGR.
How are point-of-care platforms reshaping testing pathways?
Cartridge-based systems cut result times to under 1 hour, improving antimicrobial stewardship and triage decisions.
What are the main hurdles for wider adoption in Eastern Europe?
Limited high-complexity infrastructure and fragmented reimbursement slow deployment of advanced assays.
How is AI influencing assay development?
Machine-learning platforms shorten primer design cycles and enhance assay specificity, supporting rapid response to emerging pathogens.
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