Mass Spectrometry in North America and Europe

Despite a recent history of major innovation in many areas of the market, the position of mass spectrometry as one of the most powerful analytical techniques available, and the cutting edge applications in which it is used seem to drive the continuation of such a rapid pace of innovation and breakthroughs. The range of subtechnologies within the mass spectrometry market is incredibly diverse, including instruments as small as a toaster and as large as a car. The most basic mass spectrometer systems cost less than $5,000, while some of the priciest systems can easily break the $1 million mark.

Mass spectrometry demand in North America and Europe.

Mass spectrometry techniques used most heavily in the life sciences are generally at the high end in terms of price and performance, and are responsible for driving such strong growth in the market. The technological innovations within LC–MS techniques including triple quadrupole, ion trap, Q-TOF and FT-MS during the past five years have been revolutionary, and give researchers the tools to garner far more information than ever before.

However, it is not only the life sciences in which mass spectrometry has made its mark. GC–MS and ICP–MS, as well as general-purpose LC–MS techniques are very popular for non-life science applications, such as environmental testing, agriculture and food, and petrochemicals. Activity in all of these industries has accelerated significantly over the past year or two, and in most regions of the world. Mass spectrometry has developed over the course of more than a century from a very crude instrument intended for basic research applications into a more than $2 billion global market in 2006 that consists of end-users in a vast array of industries and applications.

The foregoing data was extracted and adapted from SDi's Market Analysis and Perspective: Mass Spectrometry, Endless Choices for Ever Increasing Analytical Performance. For more information, contact Glenn Cudiamat, VP of Research Services, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 641-4982, fax: (310) 641-8851, email: cudiamat@strategic-directions.com.