Published Date : 2025-Apr-11
The global molecular breeding market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 18.3%, from USD 4.76 billion in 2024 to USD 18.25 billion in 2032. This growth is driven by genomic innovation, CRISPR applications, increased agricultural productivity needs, and rising investment in precision breeding technologies. North America and Europe dominate the market, with Asia-Pacific emerging rapidly due to large-scale agricultural initiatives.
Here's a breakdown of the top global players dominating the molecular breeding market in 2025: Eurofins Scientific, Illumina, Bayer AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, SGS SA, Intertek, LemnaTec GmbH, Slipstream Automation And Others.
The use of cutting-edge biotechnological methods, mainly DNA-based markers and molecular genetics, to improve the breeding and production of crops with particular and desired features is what the molecular breeding market is all about. In the field of agriculture, molecular breeding is a game-changing technique that makes it possible to precisely modify a plant's genetic composition to produce better traits including greater yield, improved nutritional value, and heightened resistance to environmental stresses. Fundamentally, molecular breeding is the process of identifying and choosing particular genes linked to desired characteristics in order to enable a more focused and effective breeding procedure. By allowing breeders to work at the molecular level and influence traits with a level of accuracy that was previously unattainable, this technology goes beyond standard breeding practices. Molecular markers are DNA sequences linked to certain qualities that facilitate the selection of desired genetic traits and speed up the development of crops with desired characteristics. The scope of the Molecular Breeding Market encompasses a wide range of crops, including major staples like cereals, fruits, and vegetables, as well as specialty crops with unique characteristics. This innovative approach is instrumental in addressing global challenges in agriculture, such as the need to increase food production to meet the demands of a growing population, adapt crops to changing environmental conditions, and enhance nutritional profiles to address public health concerns. For instance,
Profile: Eurofins is a global leader in laboratory services, specializing in analytical testing for food, environment, pharmaceuticals, and genomics. In the agricultural space, Eurofins is at the forefront of molecular breeding, offering services such as DNA marker analysis, genomic selection, and phenotyping for crop and seed improvement.
Profile: Illumina is a global biotechnology company and a leader in genomic sequencing and array-based technologies. Its platforms are foundational to molecular breeding, enabling researchers and breeders to analyze plant and animal genomes with unprecedented depth and speed. From SNP genotyping to whole-genome sequencing, Illumina tools are critical in trait discovery, marker-assisted selection, and genomic prediction.
Profile: Bayer is a German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company with a major focus on agriculture biotechnology through its Crop Science division. Since acquiring Monsanto in 2018, Bayer has become one of the world’s most powerful players in genomic breeding, CRISPR-based trait development, and seed technology.
Profile: Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading global provider of scientific instrumentation, reagents, consumables, and software services. While not a seed or agri-biotech company, Thermo Fisher plays a critical enabling role in molecular breeding by supplying tools used in genotyping, PCR, NGS, and molecular marker detection—essential steps in trait mapping and genomic selection.
Profile: SGS is a Swiss multinational company, the world's leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company. While it is not a genomics tool developer or seed company, it is deeply involved in molecular breeding through testing, regulatory validation, and analytical support for GMOs, traits, and seed purity.
SGS’s agricultural division has seen rising demand with increasing regulatory scrutiny over genetically modified crops, and the global need for trait purity and traceability in molecular breeding programs.
Intertek is a global leader in Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification (ATIC) services, and DNA marker analysis for agricultural commodities. While not directly involved in developing genomics tools, Intertek plays a crucial role in validating molecular breeding outputs, particularly in seed testing, GMO certification, and bioanalytical compliance.
Seed and crop testing labs support DNA marker validation and trait purity analysis.
Offers biosafety and regulatory testing for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Provides pesticide residue, mycotoxin, and plant DNA profiling services.
Supports compliance audits for gene-edited crops across global markets.
Profile: LemnaTec is a German-based agri-tech firm known for its cutting-edge phenotyping platforms that complement molecular breeding workflows. While not a seed or biotech company per se, LemnaTec plays a critical role by providing image-based plant analysis tools that enable non-destructive monitoring of plant traits, a crucial step in precision breeding and genomics-assisted selection.
Profile: Slipstream Automation appears to be a niche automation technology provider that develops advanced robotics and AI platforms to support plant phenotyping, breeding trial monitoring, and agriculture lab automation. While not a genomics company itself, it contributes to molecular breeding by enhancing throughput and precision in crop screening and trait measurement workflows.
Region | Key Countries | Market Insights |
North America | USA, Canada, Mexico | Largest market share; tech-driven molecular breeding, strong R&D investment. |
Europe | Germany, UK, France, Italy | Strong regulatory backing and seed innovation hubs. |
Asia-Pacific | China, India, Japan, Australia | Fastest growth due to population pressure and genomic tech adoption. |
Latin America | Brazil, Argentina | Genomic breeding for cash crops (soybean, maize). |
MEA | South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia |
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
South America
Middle East & Africa
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