Outlook 2027: growth trend of machines for pharma

The expected growth of the global pharma market at a CAGR of between +5 and 8% to 2028 will drive machinery for packaging pharma products sector, which for its part will grow at a rate of 2.8% per year, achieving in 2027 a value of as much as 961.2 million euros higher than in 2022.

Milena Bernardi

Between 2023 and 2027, the global market of pharmaceutical packaging machines is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.8% and should reach a value of 7.58 billion euros, that is, 961.2 million more than in 2022 when it stood at 6.6 billion.

These figures were set out in the recent report, Packaging Machines: global market values and forecasts to 2027 (Il Cubo) by the Mecs-Ucima Research Centre, which provides a comprehensive overview with over 4,600 different forecasts on growth rates in 70 countries, 11 families of machinery and 6 customer sectors including, precisely, the pharmaceutical sector.

Value of the market in the main geographic areas

In the five-year period, Asia will continue to represent the largest geographical area in terms of the consumption of pharmaceutical packaging (2,554 million euros), followed by the European Union with 2,154 million and by North America (1,788 million). Some way behind comes Europe outside the EU with 397.4 million euro, Central-South America (365.7 million) and Africa/Oceania (315.2 million). In terms of growth percentage, however, North America will lead with a CAGR of +4,1%, while Asia will have the lowest performance (-1.7%). The EU (+3.1%), Europe outside the EU (+2.6%), Central-South America (+2.6%) and Africa/Oceania (+2.1%) will perform well. In the reference period, Italian exports will acquire further shares of the market (especially in Europe outside the EU and in North America) and

The TOP 10 between 2023 and 2027

By market value
In the global classification of the major consumer countries of machinery for pharmaceutical packaging, Italy stands in fifth place after the United States, China, Japan and Germany. Compared to 2022, Italy is forecast to grow at an annual rate (CAGR) of 2.5% to reach in 2027 460.4 million euros (+53.9 million), thanks also to the rise in exports, forecast at +2.5% year-on-year. As mentioned, the classification is headed by the USA, which passes from 1,333.2 million euros in 2022 to 1,629.2 million in 2027 (CAGR +4.1%). It’s followed by China, which is expected to reach 1,024 million euros (+2.7% year-on-year) with exports, however, falling (-1.5%). The same applies to the exports of Japan in third position (-1.5%) which, nevertheless, will grow in terms of consumption by 3.1% per year, reaching 547 million euros. In fourth place is Germany, which will rise to 508.4 million (+89.5 million against 2022) with an annual rate of +3.9%. Closing the TOP 10 classification, in order, are France, India, United Kingdom, Spain and Canada with, respectively, a CAGR of +0.3%; -1%; +2.2%; +1% and +3.2%.

Who will grow the most
The forecasts of the MECS-Ucima Research Centre took into examination also the 10 countries that will grow most quickly between 2023 and 2027. Leading the classification is Singapore with a forecast CAGR of +11.8% followed by Hungary (+8.6%), UAE, Ireland and Bulgaria at +7.9%. Immediately after there is Egypt with +7.3%, Poland (+7.1%) and Romania (+7%). Iran with +6.2% and Portugal with +4,6% are in ninth and tenth places.

The global pharmaceutical market to 2028
In 2022, the global pharmaceutical market registered a turnover of around 1,500 billion dollars: the USA accounted for 52.3%, Europa 22.4% and China 8.1%. IQVIA forecasts contained in the recent “Global Use of Medicines 2024 – Outlook to 2028” report indicate a growth to 2028 at an average rate of between +5 and +8% which will take global spending on medicines to 2.3 trillion dollars.

While North Europe will go at an annual rhythm of between 6 and 9% (over a trillion dollars), western Europe will record a rate of between 4 and 7%. Overall, in 2028 pharmaceutical spending in the first five continental markets should be 296 billion dollars. The growth forecasts for eastern Europe are higher, forecast in a range of between 7.5 and 10.5%. The pharmaceutical spending of Japan will fluctuate between -2% and’1%, while that of China between 2 and 5%. Finally, for the Latin America area, an average annual growth of between 7 and 10% is forecast, driven by Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.

Pharmaceutical research will reach 1,600 billion
Pharmaceuticals is the first sector in the world for investments in R&D in absolute terms and in terms of percentage of turnover. Between 2023 and 2028, global enterprises will invest 1,600 billion of euros, 80% of which allocated to an Open Innovation network composed of different parties: enterprises, public bodies, start-ups, scientific parks and clinical centres.

In Italy, the value of pharmaceutical production in 2022 was 49 billion euros, with an increase of 42% compared to the previous year. The growth in production was mainly driven by exports (+43%), for over 60% linked to productions against Covid-19. There was growth also in investments in R&D and production (+ 6% against 2021). In the first months of 2023, production was still growing (+10%) and exports accounted for 9% of the manufacturing output.

(Source: Farmindustria)