The vials market size is projected to reach US$13,486.630 million by 2027. Vials are used in a variety of fields, including biotechnology, life sciences, chemicals, personal care, healthcare, food and beverage, pesticides, and insecticides. Among all the applications, the one that is common to almost every aspect that human lives interact with is that of biotechnology. Whether it's pharmaceuticals, molecular gastronomy, or agriculture (to name a few), the role of biotechnology is ubiquitous.

This is palpable by the rate of investments that take place throughout any given financial year in various nations between various stakeholders. Taking the most recent and most talked about subject into consideration which is COVID-19 and the resultant pandemic that is raging throughout the world, biotechnology innovation has gained a lot of steam as the need to develop a vaccine is of prime importance. To this end, it may be noted that ARCH Venture Partners increased its funding by $1.46 billion to support new tech development. Just to provide a bit more insight into the aforesaid ARCH portfolio companies, Vir Biotechnology, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, VBI Vaccines, Brii Biosciences, and Sana Biotechnology are all working on COVID-19 therapeutics. Furthermore, to support clinical testing and clinical trial development, Quanterix is developing a relevant technology. Twist Biosciences is another company that has gene-editing tools that the company believes can support therapeutic and vaccine development that has been backed by ARCH. Another entity, Bellerophon, received emergency access approval from the FDA because of being the developer of inhaled nitric oxide delivery technologies that possess the capability to be used as a treatment to treat the distress associated with COVID-19. Further, in March 2020, Sumitomo Chemical, a globally renowned chemical company based out of Japan made a strategic investment in Conagen a biotech entity based out of the Greater Boston area. Conagen’s synthetic biology research and development that is geared towards contributing to a clean and sustainable planet will be propelled by this investment.

The objective of this investment is to materialize the shared vision of bio-designing and making sustainable green chemicals available in the market, ultimately reducing the global chemical footprint and making the environment safer. Further, in  March 2020, a $1.1 billion capital raise was concluded by Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences innovation enterprise to support the creation of human health and sustainability companies that have come into being and are functioning within its Flagship Labs unit. Thus, with avid interests among various stakeholders along with the exigencies of the pandemic as well as other pressing matters that cause immense stress on the global ecosystems, R&D investments not only related to biochemistry as exemplified above but also a host of other scientific fields will be set in motion during the forecast period, thereby necessitating the utilization of various types of vials, which in turn is expected to fuel the vial market during the forecast period and beyond.

The favourable government policies that are facilitating impact investment and other mechanisms that are aimed at the plausible alleviation of various issues are further expected to promote market growth. For example, 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) has been set aside for R&D by 2025 [Source: The Federal Funding Advisory Service for Research and Innovation]. With regards to India, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India jointly with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), formulated and made amendments in the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research. As per the recommendation of the inter-ministerial meeting, "National Guidelines for Stem Cell Therapy" is also being formulated jointly with ICMR and other stakeholders.  Further, in 2018, India has committed to an investment in R&D programmes by announcing the funding opportunity announcement of US$17 Million on Sustainable Biofuels, Converting Sunlight, and Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge. A total of 47 collaborative projects have been recommended for funding support in the above three areas [Annual Report January 2018 – March 2019, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India]. Thus, with such aforesaid exemplification of government interventions, the facilitation of biotechnological among others will even more emphatically which will increase the demand for vials, the inseverable component of any research lab around the world.  As a result, the Vials market is expected to grow during the forecast period

Concomitant to the technological front, the boom in personal care products and the inclusion of phytochemicals whose end products are sold as nutraceuticals are also poised to drive the growth of the vial market.  This demand stems from the increasingly health-conscious urbanites who are keener on doing away with for example skincare products that contain harmful chemicals. Further, unemployed unindividual whose disposable income has increased during recent years aspire to products that are above premium quality products, and the basket now increasingly includes more products from the luxury segment. This development is causing market players in various segments to increase and expand their product portfolios in order to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Therefore, increasing the demand for vials that do not only find their application in product development but also are purchased off the shelf of the store containing a particular product. This propelled the demand for vials during the forecast period.

Key Developments in the Market

• In March 2022, SDG Pharma, a global primary glass packaging supplier, launched 100 ml molded glass vials in collaboration with Sterility Platform. The vials are available in amber and clear molded glass and developed by employing EZ-fill packaging technology, enabling the companies to fuel the production of their high-value parenteral drugs with an RTU packaging solution. The molded glass aids in maintaining drug stability owing to its chemically inert attributes.
• In August 2021, Serum Institute of India, an internationally renounced vaccine developer, acquired 50% stakes in Schott AG's Indian branch, a specialty glass firm, for an undisclosed sum. Through this acquisition, the SII has secured control over its supply chain as glass vials are a key component in packaging vaccines.

COVID-19 Insights:

COVID-19 had a positive impact on the global glass vials market. The rapid surge of the pandemic led to increased investments in developing vaccines against the pandemic. Consequently, the demand for glass vials to effectively and safely package and supply the vaccines also increased exponentially.

Segmentation

• By Capacity
  • Up to 2 ml
  • 3 ml – 5 ml
  • 5 ml – 7 ml
  • 8 ml and above
• By Material
  • Glass
    • Borosilicate glass
    • Fused Silica
  • Plastic
    • Thermoplastics
      • HDPE
      • Poly Vinyl Chloride
      • Polycarbonate
      • Polypropylene
    • Thermosets
      • Melamine Formaldehyde
      • Phenol Formaldehyde
      • PolyUrea Formaldehyde
      • Others
• By Filling Technology
  • Net weight fillers
  • Rotary fillers
  • Volumetric fillers
  • Other fillers
• By End User
  • Personal Care
  • Chemicals
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitals
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Research Laboratories
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Others
  • The Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • Japan
    • China
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Taiwan
    • Others