Sterilization Services Market Analysis Report & Growth Outlook 2030

The sterilization services market is expected to reach US$ 6,210.13 million by 2030 from US$ 3,367.88 million in 2022. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 7.9% from 2022 to 2030.

Market Insights and Analyst View:

Medical devices are sterilized in different ways; these include the application of dry heat; moist heat (steam); vaporized hydrogen peroxide; radiation; ethylene oxide gas; and other sterilization methods such as vaporized peracetic acid, chlorine dioxide gas, and nitrogen dioxide. The sterilization process for some products is delicate and complex, requiring higher quality standards. The demand for sterilization processes for medical devices is continuously growing due to the increasing number of hospital-acquired and other infections, rising counts of surgical procedures, greater attention toward disinfection, and the growth of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. The increasing prevalence of healthcare-associated infections and the growing number of surgical procedures propel the sterilization services market growth.

Growth Drivers:

Millions of people worldwide get affected by healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) while receiving health treatments. Factors such as inadequate hygiene environment conditions, poor infrastructure, insufficient equipment, absence of guidelines, and lack of knowledge regarding infection control measures increase the prevalence of HAIs. According to the 2021 National and State HAIs Progress Report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cases of HAIs increased significantly during 2020–2021 in a few healthcare settings. Changes in standardized infection ratio among acute care hospitals from 2020 to 2021 include a 14% increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, a 12% upsurge in ventilator-associated events, an 11% rise in surgical site infections (SSIs) following abdominal hysterectomy, a 7% hike in central line-associated bloodstream infections, a 5% lift in catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and a 3% decrease in Clostridium difficile infection. According to an article published by the NCBI in 2022, the overall prevalence of HAIs in developing countries has reached up to 15.5%. Furthermore, in critically ill patients, the prevalence of HAIs has been reported as high as 34.1%.

The common HAIs caused by inadequate sterilization procedures are hepatitis B and C, SSIs, HIV infections, urinary and vascular catheter-associated infections, and ventilator-associated infections. HAIs lead to additional suffering for patients, an increase in hospital stays with elevated treatment costs, and resistance to the effects of antimicrobials. According to MDPI, in the US, HAI costs nearly US$ 10–33 billion annually, and in Europe, HAI costs exceed US$ 8.2 billion (€ 7 billion) annually.

As per the WHO, some of the important aspects of HAIs are mentioned below:

• Out of every 100 hospitalized patients, 7 in developed and 10 in developing countries are expected to acquire at least one HAI.
• Urinary tract infection is the most common HAI in high-income countries.
• In low- and middle-income countries, ICU-acquired infection is ~2–3 fold higher than in high-income countries. In high-income countries, ICU-acquired infection affects ~30% of patients with at least one HAI.
• In developing countries, newborns are 20 times more prone to acquire HAIs than in developed countries.

The facts above highlight the importance of sterilization in healthcare to prevent HAIs. The insufficient sterilization of surgical instruments and reusable objects such as endoscopic devices, respiratory care devices, and hemodialysis devices leads to HAIs. Several countries are paying attention to maintaining a sterilized environment and are investing resources to strengthen sterilization services owing to the widespread epidemics and increasing awareness regarding antimicrobial resistance. Thus, all these factors collectively drive the adoption of sterilization services worldwide.  

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Sterilization Services Market: Strategic Insights

Market Size Value in	US$ 3,367.88 million in 2022
Market Size Value by	US$ 6,210.13 million in 2030
Growth rate	CAGR of 7.9% from 2022 to 2030
Forecast Period	2022-2030
Base Year	2022

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Report Segmentation and Scope:

The “Global Sterilization Services Market” is segmented on the basis of the mode of delivery, method, service type, and end user. Based on the mode of delivery, the market is bifurcated into offsite sterilization services and onsite sterilization services. In terms of method, the sterilization services market is divided into ethylene oxide, chlorine dioxide, gamma ray, electron beam, autoclave steam, and others. Based on service type, the market is segmented into contract sterilization and microbial reduction services, testing and validation services, equipment, and others. The sterilization services market, by end user, is segmented into medical device companies, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, hospitals and clinics, and others. The sterilization services market, based on geography, is segmented into North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific), Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Rest of Middle East & Africa), and South & Central America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of South & Central America)

Segmental Analysis:

The sterilization services market, by mode of delivery, is bifurcated into offsite sterilization services and onsite sterilization services. The offsite sterilization segment held a larger market share in 2022. Further, the onsite sterilization segment is anticipated to register a higher CAGR during the forecast period. Many hospitals opt for offsite sterilization services due to the increasing number of service providers and the rising trend of outsourcing sterilization services. Offsite sterilization services have been proven to be cost-effective for hospitals. Moreover, companies in this business appoint qualified staff with excellent technical know-how to provide improved services, alongside maintaining high standards by complying with government regulations. They are also coming up with innovative solutions to reduce the time and cost for customers, which triggers the demand for offsite sterilization services. For instance, the Mobile Sterile Processing Unit of STERIS plc, a fully integrated, mobile central sterile processing department (SPD), allows for a turnkey process to continually support the operations without disruption during hospital construction, renovation, or expansion.

Sterilization Services Market, by Mode of Delivery – 2022 and 2030

Based on method, the sterilization services market is segmented into ethylene oxide, chlorine dioxide, gamma ray, electron beam, autoclave steam, and others. The ethylene oxide segment held the largest market share in 2022. The chlorine dioxide segment is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 8.8% during the forecast period. According to the Advanced Medical Service Type Association (AdvaMed), ethylene oxide is used to sterilize ~20 billion medical devices in the US every year. Broad-range material compatibility, easy penetration, and sizeable sterilizing capacity are among the major advantages contributing to the sterilization service market growth. There is an extensive network of ethylene oxide sterilization service providers across the world. STERIS, one of the prominent providers of infection prevention and other procedural products and services, has a network of more than 50 contract sterilization and laboratory facilities globally.  

Based on service type, the sterilization services market is segmented into contract sterilization and microbial reduction services, testing and validation services, equipment, and others. The contract sterilization and microbial reduction services segment held the largest market share in 2022, and it is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The medical device manufacturing industry is experiencing increased competition and demand for custom services from sterilization service providers. Contract-based sterilization service personnel are trained for and well-versed with industry standards. In the last few years, the contract sterilization industry has enjoyed phenomenal growth owing to the cost-effectiveness, and wide adoption of these services in large- and small-scale manufacturers. In addition, the presence of a well-established network allows contract service providers to offer different services to a vast clientele, allowing them to expand their market reach.

Based on end user, the sterilization services market is segmented into medical device companies, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, hospitals and clinics, and others. The medical device companies segment held the largest market share in 2022, and the same segment is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Medical device manufacturers are among the prominent end users of sterilization services owing to stringent regulations and compliance requirements regarding medical device manufacturing and packaging. These products need to be sterile to avoid infections among people using these devices.

Regional Analysis:

Based on geography, the sterilization services market is divided into five key regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South & Central America, and Middle East & Africa. The market in North America has been analyzed with a prime focus on three major countries—the US, Canada, and Mexico. The US is estimated to hold the largest sterilization services market share during the forecast period. The sterilization services market is expected to grow owing to easy access to sterilization services and a rise in surgical procedures in the US. As per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), in 2020, 15.6 million cosmetic surgeries and 13.2 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed in the US, with a 3% rise over 2019. In 2020, the Top 5 cosmetic procedures in the US were breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, and facelift. Further, in 2020, 193,073 breast augmentation procedures were performed. Thus, the need for facility and device sterilization rises with the surge in surgical procedures.

Sterilization Services Market Opportunity:

The medical device industry is projected to experience significant growth owing to constant technological advancements. The rising need for better healthcare facilities has encouraged developing economies to focus on technology-enabled healthcare solutions. The increase in the elderly population, cases of chronic illnesses, and pediatric care have also surged the demand for advanced healthcare facilities. Additionally, top revenue-generating medical device companies are investing significantly in the R&D of advanced technologies and sterilization services.

Medical devices and equipment are essential tools used to monitor patients. Sterilization is one of the crucial steps in the medical device manufacturing process. The sterilization modality varies based on material compatibility, process availability, processing location, physical device attributes, regulatory approval, cost, and regulatory registration within the countries. The sterilization of medical devices is vital during manufacturing as well as usage. Inappropriate device sanitization can cause health risks and difficulties in getting market clearance from regulatory bodies such as the FDA. Further, healthcare organizations need to manage sterilization properly to ensure the safety of patients. Thus, the growing medical device industry is expected to offer lucrative opportunities to the key players in the sterilization services market.  

COVID-19 Impact:

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sterilization services market was experiencing steady growth and was influenced by various factors that shaped its dynamics. Nevertheless, the pandemic had a positive impact on the sterilization services market. Sterilization has been an important tool that is used to directly combat SARS-CoV-2 and stop the spread of COVID-19, especially in healthcare facilities. According to an article published in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research in May 2021, sanitizers and disinfectants were essential preventative steps to sterilize surfaces and equipment against COVID-19. The shortage of filtering facepiece respirators amid the pandemic, several healthcare facilities were obliged to reuse filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) after using various decontamination techniques, such as gamma-irradiation (GIR).

Competitive Landscape and Key Companies:

A few of the prominent players operating in the global sterilization market are Steris Plc, Sotera Health, Cretex Medical, Scapa Healthcare, BGS Beta-Gamma-Service GmbH & Co. KG, E-BEAM Services, Inc., Medistri SA, Midwest Sterilization Corporation (MSC), Microtrol Sterilisation Services, ClorDiSys Solutions Inc, Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, and Boulder Sterilization. These companies focus on new technologies, advancements in existing products, and geographic expansions to meet the growing consumer demand worldwide and increase their product range in specialty portfolios. For instance, in May 2023, Boulder Sterilization introduced contract chlorine dioxide (CD) sterilization services. With this addition to its service portfolio, Boulder Sterilization became the only contract sterilizer in the world to offer both CD and ethylene oxide technologies for medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic products.