CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURING MARKET
The continuous manufacturing market is estimated to reach USD 2.6 billion in the current year and is likely to reach USD 4.2 billion by 2040, representing a higher CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period.
The market opportunity has been distributed across the following segments:
Type of Drug Molecule
- Biologics
- Small Molecules
Stage of Bioprocessing
- Upstream Bioprocessing
- Downstream Bioprocessing
Type of Product Manufactured
- Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
- Finished Dosage Forms
Scale of Operation
- Preclinical / Clinical
- Commercial
Purpose of Manufacturing
- In-House Manufacturing
- Contract Manufacturing
- Both
Company Size
Key Geographical Regions
- North America
- Europe
- Asia-Pacific
CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURING MARKET: GROWTH AND TRENDS
Conventional drug production by pharmaceutical manufacturers is associated with various challenges, including prolonged production timelines, inefficiencies in resource utilization, higher costs, and supply chain complexities. To circumvent the above-mentioned challenges, industry and non-industry players are increasingly investing in R&D initiatives for transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing from batch processes to continuous methods. Among these options, continuous manufacturing has become a highly favored method for large-scale production of biologics and small molecules. Continuous manufacturing helps in generating the desired product through an ongoing process by consistently adding raw materials and reagents during one production cycle. This ongoing process reduces downtime and optimizes equipment usage, resulting in increased efficiency and productivity, lowered unit costs by (~40-50%), and faster drug commercialization.
Additionally, the implementation of continuous manufacturing provides multiple benefits, including enhanced productivity, improved operational efficiency, and uniform product quality. Interestingly, stakeholders are enhancing these procedures by incorporating automation and real-time monitoring, with an aim to minimize human errors and reduce inconsistencies in the process. Furthermore, regulatory agencies, such as the FDA actively endorses continuous manufacturing by providing guidelines that accelerate the approval process for drugs developed through this technique.

High labor expenses, significant downtime, and variability between batches in traditional manufacturing have driven the demand for continuous pharmaceutical production to guarantee consistent product quality and enhanced cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the implementation advanced real-time monitoring and automation technologies has driven pharmaceutical firms to transition from multi-step batch production techniques to fast and efficient continuous manufacturing
CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURING MARKET: KEY INSIGHTS
The report delves into the current state of the continuous manufacturing market and identifies potential growth opportunities within industry. The key takeaways of the report are:
1. The current market landscape of continuous biologic manufacturers is highly fragmented, featuring the presence of both new entrants and established players; majority of these players are based in the US.
2. More than 45 players offer contract manufacturing services for biologics using continuous manufacturing across the globe; of these, 80% of the players manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients.
3. Owing to the rising demand for biologics, companies are upgrading their technical expertise in continuous manufacturing techniques to efficiently manufacture high quality products.
4. Close to 50 manufacturers claim to have expertise in continuous manufacturing of small molecules; more than 80% of these players are large and very large firms.
5. Over 80% of the continuous small molecule manufacturers are focused on synthesizing APIs by utilizing flow technology to enhance the safety, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the production process.
6. Around 55% of the total partnerships and collaborations in the continuous manufacturing domain were inked in past three years; of these, most of the deals were manufacturing agreements.
7. Close to 35% of players have established new facilities; of these, around 50% are focused on both clinical and commercial scale continuous manufacturing of biologics and small molecules.
8. Grants worth USD 25 million have been awarded for research related to continuous manufacturing; ~30% of these grants extend a support period of up to three years.
9. Around 80 patents have been granted related to continuous manufacturing since 2020; further, majority of the patents have 17 years left until they lose their exclusivity.
10. Presently, the global installed biologics continuous manufacturing is estimated to be around 225,000 liters; around 40% of this capacity is installed in the facilities of players based in Europe.
11. Across Europe, nearly 50% of the total capacity is housed in large manufacturers' facilities that offer both clinical and commercial scale manufacturing.
12. The continuous biologics manufacturing market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 4.9%, till 2035; presently, majority of the market share is occupied by upstream bioprocessing followed by downstream bioprocessing
13. In the current year, small molecules account for over 65% of the overall continuous manufacturing market; By 2035, North America is expected to capture the majority share, exceeding 90% of the market.
CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURING MARKET: KEY SEGMENTS
Small Molecule Segment Holds the Largest Share of the Continuous Manufacturing Market
The continuous manufacturing market is segmented across biologics and small molecules. In the current year, small molecules segment captures the majority of the market share (>65%). This can be attributed to the simple production process of small molecules due to its chemical nature, in comparison to biologics, that require more complex extraction procedures from living cells. It is important to highlight that the biologics segment is likely to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period, driven by several advantages, such as high target specificity and fewer drug interactions which facilitate their application in treating various disorders, including cancer and rare disorders.
Upstream Bioprocessing is the Most Used Stage of Continuous Manufacturing Market
The global market by stage of continuous manufacturing is segmented across upstream bioprocessing and downstream bioprocessing. Based on our findings, the upstream bioprocessing holds the major share (~95%) in the current year. Upstream processing lays the foundation for downstream processing, which involves purification and formulation of the final product. Thus, efficiency and quality of the upstream processes significantly influence the yield and quality of the final product.
Finished Dosage Forms Dominates the Largest Share of the Continuous Manufacturing Market
The small molecules continuous manufacturing market based on products manufactured is segmented across active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage forms. Finished dosage forms hold the largest share (~65%) in the present year. This is a result of the increase in the approvals for the commercialization of finished doses to end-user. Further, active pharmaceutical ingredients segment shows higher growth potential, during the forecast period.
Commercial Scale Segment Holds the Largest Share of the Continuous Manufacturing Market
In terms of scale of operation, the continuous manufacturing market is segmented across preclinical / clinical and commercial operations. It is worth highlighting that the commercial scale of operation for biologics and small molecules captures majority of the continuous manufacturing market share (~90%), currently. Owing to the increased industrial adoption of perfusion based continuous bioprocessing technologies, these technologies are preferred option for manufacturing of biologic APIs that are unstable under production conditions. Moreover, incorporation of these processes in the current workflow enables regular separation of the final product from by-products that may cause degradation.
Contract Manufacturing Segment Dominates the Continuous Manufacturing Market
In terms of purpose of manufacturing, the continuous manufacturing market is segmented across in-house manufacturing, contract manufacturing and both. It is worth highlighting that the contract manufacturing segment dominates (>70%) the market for both biologics and small molecules in the current year. This is due to the enhanced capability of contract manufacturers in delivering customized solutions, enabling manufacturers to concentrate on their core strengths instead of allocating resources to establish their own manufacturing facilities for the production process Further, in-house manufacturing segment is likely to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.
By Company Size, Large Players Holds the Largest Share of the Continuous Manufacturing Market
In terms of company size, the continuous manufacturing market is based on the company size, such small, mid-sized and large. Large company segments hold majority continuous manufacturing market size (with >70% share) in 2025. This is a result of dedicated resources and capabilities with the large biologics / small molecule manufacturers which allows for rapid implementation of market trends in their manufacturing workflow as compared to mid-sized or small manufacturers. Further, mid-sized companies are undertaking continuous investments to expand their capabilities and streamline continuous manufacturing operations. As a result, they are likely to grow at a notable growth rate.
Asia-Pacific to Propel in the Continuous Manufacturing Sector in the Coming Years
This segment highlights the distribution of market across various geographies, such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. As per our findings, Europe is likely to capture majority share in both biologics (~40%) and small molecules (>50%) continuous manufacturing market. This is a result of the efforts of researchers in R&D activities to expedite the implementation of continuous manufacturing technologies across their facilities. It is worth highlighting that the small molecule continuous manufacturing market will grow at a relatively faster pace in Asia-Pacific. This is due to increasing adoption of flexible ecosystem by various industry players to facilitate the implementation of continuous manufacturing technologies and support the development of high-quality pharmaceutical products.
Primary Research Overview
Discussions with multiple stakeholders in this domain influenced the opinions and insights presented in this study. The market report includes detailed transcripts of interviews conducted with the following individuals:
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Small Organization, US
- Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Mid-sized Organization, US
- Chief Executive Officer, Large Organization, India
- Vice President Process Chemistry and Technology, Very Large Organization, US
- General Site Manager, Small Organization, US
- Technical Project Manager, Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallization, Very Large Organization, UK
Example Players in the Continuous Manufacturing Market
- AbbVie Contract Manufacturing
- Abzena
- AGC Biologics
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Corden Pharma
- Glatt
- Kaneka
- Phlow
- Wuxi Biologics
CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURING MARKET: RESEARCH COVERAGE
The report on continuous manufacturing market features insights into various sections, including:
- Market Sizing and Opportunity Analysis: An in-depth analysis of current market opportunity and the future growth potential of continuous manufacturing market, focusing on key market segments, including [A] type of drug molecule, [B] stage of bioprocessing, [C] type of product manufactured, and [D] geographical regions.
- Market Landscape: A comprehensive evaluation of service providers engaged in the continuous manufacturing market based on several relevant parameters, such as [A] type of player, [B] scale of operation, [C] type of dosage form, and [D] type of product manufactured, [E] year of establishment, [F] company size, and [G] location of headquarters.
- Company Competitiveness Analysis: An insightful technology competitiveness and benchmarking analysis, based on various relevant parameters, such as [A] company strength, and [B] portfolio strength.
- Company Profiles: Comprehensive profiles of leading service providers, featuring information on [A] company overview, [B] financial information (if available), [C] continuous manufacturing service portfolio, [D] continuous manufacturing facilities, [E] recent developments, and [E] future outlook statements.
- Partnerships and Collaborations: A detailed analysis of partnerships inked between stakeholders in the continuous manufacturing market, based on several relevant parameters, such as [A] year of partnership, [B] type of partnership, [C] type of partner, [D] type of drug molecule, [E] type of product, [F] scale of operation, and [G] geography.
- Recent Expansions: An in-depth analysis of expansions reported in the continuous manufacturing market, based on several relevant parameters, [A] year of expansion, [B] type of expansion, [C] scale of operation, [D] type of drug molecule, [E] type of product, [F] amount invested, and [G] facility area.
- Grant Analysis: A detailed analysis of the various grants reported in the continuous manufacturing domain with relevant information across parameters, such as [A] year of grants award, [B] amount awarded, [C] funding institute center, [D] support period, [E] type of grant application, [F] purpose of grant award, [G] activity code, and [H] study section involved.
- Patent Analysis: A detailed analysis of the various patents filed / granted in the continuous manufacturing domain, based on various mbols, [E] type of applicant, and [F] patent benchmarking analysis. parameters, such as [A] patent publication year, [B] patent application year, [C] patent jurisdiction, [D] CPC Sy
- Gaps Associated with Continuous Bioprocessing: A detailed overview of various technology gaps related to continuous downstream bioprocessing that are currently preventing its implementation, including gaps related to bioburden control, continuous multi-column chromatography, continuous viral inactivation process, continuous viral filtration process, continuous ultrafiltration / diafiltration, continuous buffer supply considerations and continuous monitoring of downstream process.
- Initiatives of Companies with In-House Continuous Capabilities: An overview of various initiatives taken by the leading pharmaceutical companies (in terms of revenues), covering both partnered as well as in-house projects.
- Case Study - Continuous Manufacturing Equipment for Biologics: A case study of the companies offering technologies / equipment that can potentially be used in continuous manufacturing of biologics, providing information on the [A] geographical location of potential stakeholders and [B] the type of technology / equipment provided.
- Case Study - Roadmap for the Adoption of Continuous Manufacturing Processes: A case study on the roadmap for the adoption of continuous manufacturing technique, discussing different strategies that can be followed by the company in order to adopt this technology or transition from batch manufacturing to continuous manufacturing.
- Case Study - Modular Facilities in Pharmaceutical / Biotechnology Industry: A brief description on the concept of modularization, types of modules used in modular buildings and an overview of the modular building construction process
- Capacity Analysis: A detailed analysis on the global installed continuous upstream bioprocessing capacity and global installed continuous small molecule API manufacturing capacity of various small, mid-sized, large, and very large companies engaged in this domain based on parameters such as [A] company size, [B] scale of operation, [C] type of player and [D] key geographical regions.
- Market Impact Analysis: A thorough analysis of various factors, such as [A] drivers, [B] restraints, [C] opportunities, and [D] existing challenges that are likely to impact market growth.
KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS REPORT
- How many companies are currently engaged in this market?
- Which are the leading companies in this market?
- What factors are likely to influence the evolution of this market?
- What is the current and future market size?
- What is the CAGR of this market?
- How is the current and future market opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?
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