Pipettes and Pipettors Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Glass Pipettes, Plastic Pipettes, Other), By Application (Biological, Chemical, Medical, Other), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

Pipettes and Pipettors Market Overview

Global Pipettes and Pipettors Market size is anticipated to be worth USD 2089.08 million in 2024, projected to reach USD 3187.49 million by 2033 at a 4.8% CAGR.

The pipettes and pipettors market has experienced a consistent rise in demand due to the growth of diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical R&D, and academic research institutions. In 2024, over 19,000 research laboratories globally utilized pipetting systems for various applications, including genomics, proteomics, and clinical diagnostics. Pipettes and pipettors are essential liquid handling instruments used to measure and transfer specific volumes of liquids, typically in microliters or milliliters. Approximately 72% of laboratory tasks involving reagents or sample transfers require precision pipetting tools.

Automated pipettors accounted for over 45% of market equipment sales, driven by the need for high-throughput workflows. The integration of electronic pipettors with digital tracking and calibration systems is improving workflow efficiency. In contrast, manual pipettes still maintain strong demand, especially among academic institutions and small-scale labs, accounting for over 55% of units in use.

Technological enhancements, such as motorized piston systems and adjustable volume settings, are increasing productivity. More than 30 countries have implemented laboratory quality management protocols that require certified pipetting tools, boosting compliance-driven demand. Furthermore, a 14% year-on-year rise in biomedical research grants has indirectly increased pipettor procurement, especially in North America and Europe. The market is also characterized by growing demand for ergonomic, lightweight, and contamination-resistant designs.

Key Findings

Top Driver Reason: Rising demand from clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical laboratories requiring accurate and efficient liquid handling tools.

Top Country/Region: North America leads the market due to extensive R&D funding and over 7,500 active laboratories using pipetting systems.

Top Segment: Plastic pipettes dominate the market due to their affordability, sterility, and wide-scale use in high-volume labs.

Pipettes and Pipettors Market Trends

The pipettes and pipettors market is experiencing multiple structural and technological shifts. One of the most prominent trends is the increased adoption of automated and electronic pipettors in large-scale laboratories. Over 60% of pharma and biotech companies with more than 100 employees have transitioned to electronic pipettors to reduce manual errors. These tools are designed with memory functions and motorized dispensing, which improves repeatability by over 20% compared to manual versions.

Another rising trend is the growing preference for multichannel pipettors, which account for 35% of pipettor sales globally. These are predominantly used in applications such as ELISA, PCR setup, and drug discovery where simultaneous liquid transfers across multiple wells are essential. Laboratories performing high-throughput assays saw a 28% improvement in time efficiency using multichannel systems.

Ergonomic and contamination-free design has also become a central theme, with over 50% of pipettor models introduced in 2023 incorporating lightweight, autoclavable materials and filtered tips. The reduction in repetitive strain injuries among lab personnel using ergonomic pipettors has been measured at 18% compared to conventional pipettors.

Sustainability is increasingly influencing product development. Recyclable plastic pipettes now constitute over 40% of disposable pipette consumption. Companies are also moving toward energy-efficient electronic pipettors that consume 15% less power than earlier models.

Calibration and compliance automation is another significant trend. As per a 2024 study of 300 laboratories, pipettes with built-in calibration reminders led to a 92% adherence to quality assurance schedules, reducing non-compliance penalties by 12%. Integrated RFID chips in premium pipettors are being used to store usage history and calibration logs, improving traceability in GLP-compliant facilities.

Pipettes and Pipettors Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rising demand for pharmaceuticals

The global pharmaceutical industry is witnessing significant expansion, with over 10,000 drug development projects active in 2024. Pharmaceutical laboratories heavily rely on pipettes and pipettors for sample preparation, compound dilution, and bioassays. The average pharmaceutical R&D lab utilizes more than 300 pipettes per year, with high-volume labs consuming over 50,000 pipette tips monthly. This demand is bolstered by increased funding, where pharmaceutical R&D investments in North America alone surpassed $90 billion in 2023.

RESTRAINT

Demand for refurbished equipment

The cost-intensive nature of advanced pipettors, especially electronic or automated versions, leads many laboratories—particularly in developing economies—to opt for refurbished or reconditioned devices. In 2023, over 22% of laboratory equipment sales in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa consisted of refurbished pipettors. This trend undermines the growth of new product sales.

OPPORTUNITY

Growth in personalized medicines

Personalized medicine is driving a shift toward precise and small-volume sample handling. Pipettes capable of managing 0.1–10 µL volumes are increasingly in demand. With more than 1,200 clinical trials for precision medicine underway in 2024, there is a pressing need for accurate fluid handling at micro and nano levels. Pipettors with precision tolerance below ±1% are gaining market share.

CHALLENGE

Rising costs and expenditures

Pipettor production is becoming more capital-intensive. Raw material prices for polymers like polypropylene and polycarbonate have risen by over 18% year-on-year. Furthermore, electronic pipettors now require advanced batteries, motors, and embedded systems, raising manufacturing complexity.

Pipettes and Pipettors Market Segmentation

The pipettes and pipettors market is segmented by type and application to meet diverse laboratory requirements. On the basis of type, instruments are categorized into glass pipettes, plastic pipettes, and others (such as robotic pipettors). By application, the market includes biological, chemical, medical, and other uses such as environmental testing and academic research. Each segment differs in volume handling, sterility needs, and frequency of use. Plastic pipettes dominate due to disposability and cost-efficiency, while glass types remain crucial in precise chemical experiments. Applications vary widely, with biological and medical sectors accounting for over 65% of global pipette usage.

By Type

• Glass Pipettes: Glass pipettes are widely used in analytical chemistry, titration experiments, and academic laboratories. They provide high resistance to solvents and chemicals, making them suitable for precise volumetric transfers. In 2024, approximately 12 million glass pipettes were sold globally. These instruments can measure up to 100 mL with volume tolerances of ±0.05 mL, depending on design. Despite being reusable, their fragility limits adoption in fast-paced or high-volume labs. They are primarily used in research facilities and government labs across Europe and Japan, which collectively represent over 60% of glass pipette demand.
• Plastic Pipettes: Plastic pipettes account for more than 70% of global pipette usage. Disposable, lightweight, and economical, they are ideal for large-scale diagnostic and testing facilities. In 2023, over 2.5 billion plastic pipettes were manufactured, with more than 85% being single-use models. Polyethylene and polystyrene are the most commonly used materials. These pipettes are often pre-sterilized and used for sampling biological fluids, especially in pathology labs and hospitals. Their dominance is supported by high demand in emerging economies such as India and Brazil, where disposable options minimize contamination risks.
• Other : This segment includes electronic, motorized, and robotic pipettors, gaining strong momentum in automated labs. In 2024, robotic pipetting systems were installed in over 8,000 clinical diagnostic centers. These tools can process 96- to 384-well plates with speed and accuracy. Electronic pipettors are widely adopted in biotech R&D, offering functions such as repeat dispensing, mixing, and sequential distribution. They reduce human error by up to 30% and improve pipetting speed by 20%, making them ideal for genomic applications.

By Application

• Biological Applications: Biological labs dominate pipette usage, with over 65% of molecular biology workflows involving precise pipetting. These include DNA/RNA extraction, protein quantification, ELISA, and PCR. On average, a biological lab uses 500–1,000 pipettes and pipettors monthly. Sterile, contamination-free pipette tips are vital in such settings. The demand is high in genome sequencing facilities and cell culture labs, with major activity observed in the US, UK, and China.
• Chemical Applications: Chemical research institutions favor glass pipettes for accurate reagent handling. These are used in titration, dilution, and concentration determination. Over 40% of university chemistry departments globally utilize glass pipettes as standard lab equipment. The application is characterized by a need for solvent compatibility and precision, with pipetting volumes ranging from 0.1 mL to 50 mL.
• Medical Applications: Hospitals and clinical testing centers extensively use pipettes for diagnostic purposes. In 2023, over 120 million diagnostic tests involving pipettes were conducted globally. Blood testing, serum separation, and sample aliquoting are common uses. The US and Germany have the highest concentration of medical facilities utilizing pipetting systems. Automatic pipettors have found increased application in automated pathology workflows.
• Other applications: include environmental monitoring, food safety testing, and academic teaching. These segments accounted for 15% of total pipette usage in 2023. Environmental labs use pipettors for soil and water testing. Academic labs, especially in developing countries, often use basic manual pipettes for instructional purposes. An estimated 5 million pipettes were used in teaching institutions worldwide last year.

Pipettes and Pipettors Market Regional Outlook

The pipettes and pipettors market demonstrates distinct regional dynamics, with demand influenced by laboratory infrastructure, investment in research, and healthcare regulations. Each region has unique adoption patterns based on industrial focus and government support for scientific advancement.

• North America

North America is the leading region in the pipettes and pipettors market, accounting for over 35% of global consumption. The United States alone operates more than 7,500 clinical laboratories, 4,800 research institutions, and 2,100 pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, all of which utilize pipetting systems. High R&D spending, which exceeded $100 billion in 2023, is a primary growth driver. Electronic and multichannel pipettors are highly adopted due to demand for automation and precision.

• Europe

Europe is the second-largest regional market, with Germany, France, and the UK leading in usage. Over 4,000 active biotech firms and more than 2,700 diagnostic laboratories across the region rely on pipettes. Germany alone accounts for over 900 companies producing or using laboratory equipment. Strict regulations by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) drive demand for precision tools, with 60% of biotech labs preferring calibrated electronic pipettors.

• Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-developing region, driven by emerging economies and expanding healthcare infrastructure. China and India dominate the region, with over 6,000 pharmaceutical companies and 10,000 research centers actively using pipettes and pipettors. In India alone, more than 1,500 academic research labs purchase pipettes annually. Japan leads in precision instrument manufacturing, producing over 10 million pipettors yearly.

• Middle East & Africa

The Middle East & Africa (MEA) market is still emerging but shows steady growth due to investments in medical diagnostics and environmental testing. In 2023, more than 900 new laboratory setups were recorded across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Africa. Regional governments are investing heavily in public health initiatives.

List of Top Pipettes and Pipettors Market Companies

• Brand GmbH + Co KG (Germany)
• Capp ApS (Denmark)
• Corning (USA)
• Denville Scientific (USA)
• Eppendorf (Germany)
• Gilson (USA)
• Greiner Bio-One International (Austria)
• Hamilton Company (USA)
• Integra Biosciences (Switzerland)
• Mettler-Toledo International (Switzerland)
• Nichiryo (Japan)
• Sartorius (Germany)
• Socorex ISBA SA (Switzerland)
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA)

Top Two Companies with Highest Market Share

Eppendorf (Germany): Eppendorf remains a global leader in pipetting systems, with over 2 million pipettes sold annually. Their electronic pipettors are used in more than 140 countries, with a strong presence in over 5,000 R&D facilities and hospitals. In 2023, the company expanded its production capacity by 20% in Hamburg.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA): Thermo Fisher produces over 25 million pipette tips and 800,000 pipettors annually. Their automated pipetting platforms are installed in over 2,200 high-throughput labs worldwide. The company reported a 12% increase in sales of pipettors in Asia-Pacific during 2023 alone.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

The pipettes and pipettors market continues to attract significant investments, especially in the areas of automation, sustainability, and digital integration. In 2023, over 140 major laboratory upgrades were funded by public and private sectors across North America and Europe, with pipettor procurement featuring prominently. Investment per laboratory for pipetting automation equipment ranged between $20,000 and $80,000 depending on scale.

Investors are particularly drawn to companies developing smart pipetting systems. These include digital displays, volume memory, and wireless connectivity. Over $150 million was allocated in 2023 alone to support the development of AI-integrated pipettors, especially in Germany, the US, and Switzerland.

Emerging economies are receiving multilateral investment to upgrade research infrastructure. For example, India’s national research council allocated funding to equip 250 laboratories with automated pipetting systems in 2024. Similarly, Southeast Asian nations like Thailand and the Philippines are benefiting from foreign direct investment in clinical laboratory technologies.

A significant opportunity lies in sustainable manufacturing. Companies using biodegradable plastics for pipette tips and recyclable packaging have seen a 35% increase in customer acquisition. Over 300 labs in Europe adopted eco-friendly consumables in 2023, setting a precedent for environmentally-conscious purchasing.

Customization is another lucrative area. Custom pipette solutions for specialized assays, including single-cell analysis and microvolume liquid handling, are being increasingly adopted. These account for over 15% of new product designs in 2024. High-margin applications like genomics and oncology offer strong investment potential.

New Product Development

New product development in the pipettes and pipettors market is intensely focused on enhancing accuracy, user comfort, and automation. In 2023, over 80 new models of pipettes and pipettors were introduced globally, with innovations ranging from microvolumetric handling to advanced ergonomic grips.

Electronic Pipettors with Touchscreen Display Several companies launched electronic pipettors with color touchscreen interfaces that allow researchers to program 10–20 pipetting protocols. These interfaces offer volume memory, multistep dispensing, and mixing modes. Units released in 2024 boast tolerance improvements of up to ±0.2 µL, compared to ±1 µL in previous models.

Multichannel Ergonomic Designs Recent developments also include multichannel pipettors with enhanced ergonomic angles, reducing wrist strain by 25%. These pipettors support up to 12 simultaneous transfers, ideal for 96-well plate operations in drug screening and immunoassay analysis.

Autoclavable and Eco-Friendly Models Manufacturers released more autoclavable pipettes using medical-grade plastics that maintain structural integrity after 50+ sterilization cycles. Eco-friendly pipettes made with biodegradable polymers accounted for over 15% of new launches in Europe during 2023–2024.

Digital Pipettor Integration with Lab Software utting-edge pipettors now feature Bluetooth or USB connectivity that sync with lab information management systems (LIMS). These allow automatic data logging of pipetting activities—such as user ID, date, time, and volume—reducing manual errors and audit failure risks. Over 700 labs in North America adopted connected pipettors in the last 12 months.

Robotic Pipetting Arms New robotic systems incorporating AI-assisted volume adjustments and liquid viscosity detection are being piloted in gene sequencing labs. These arms can process 2,000–5,000 samples daily and can switch between pipette tip sizes automatically. In 2024, robotic pipettors accounted for over 12% of total new lab installations in high-throughput labs.

Personalized Pipettor Kits Several companies have launched customizable pipettor kits with color-coded identifiers, dual volume settings, and interchangeable tips. Labs conducting diverse assays benefit from these modular kits, which simplify workflow and reduce cross-contamination risks.

Five Recent Developments

• Eppendorf: launched the Xplorer plus series in 2023, offering memory function for 20 liquid classes with ±0.1 µL accuracy across 12 channels.
• Gilson: unveiled its PIPETMAN Smart, an app-connected pipettor with volume logging and auto-calibration alerts, adopted in over 400 European labs.
• Integra Biosciences: introduced VOYAGER II, the world’s first adjustable tip spacing multichannel pipettor, enhancing flexibility in microplate formats.
• Thermo Fisher: opened a new production facility in Singapore in 2024, increasing pipettor and consumables output by 25% to meet Asia-Pacific demand.
• Hamilton Company; launched the STARlet V2, a robotic system capable of managing up to 384-well plate transfers with AI-controlled liquid detection.

Report Coverage of Pipettes and Pipettors Market

This report offers detailed coverage of the global pipettes and pipettors market, analyzing every key aspect from product development to end-user demand. It includes a comprehensive examination of manual, electronic, and robotic pipettor systems, as well as glass and plastic pipettes, with insights drawn from laboratory usage patterns across biotechnology, chemical, academic, and medical sectors.

Segmentation is addressed in depth by product type (glass, plastic, electronic) and application (biological, medical, chemical, environmental). The report outlines how over 3.2 billion pipette tips are used globally per year, with more than 75% being single-use. It further analyzes market share by manufacturer, showing Eppendorf and Thermo Fisher Scientific as leading players, together accounting for over 30% of unit sales.

Regional breakdowns are provided for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and MEA, including laboratory counts, pipettor preferences, and infrastructure investments. The report covers over 40 countries in total, detailing pipettor penetration rates in hospitals, pharma labs, and universities.

The report includes a robust section on investment opportunities, emphasizing areas such as automated pipetting systems, sustainable pipette consumables, and calibration services. Over $500 million in projected investments through 2025 are discussed with a focus on high-growth regions like Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Technological trends are tracked from manual pipetting evolution to app-based electronic models, RFID-enabled tools, and LIMS-integrated systems. The report outlines over 80 new products released in 2023–2024 alone, detailing their features and performance metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions