Short-read Sequencing Market Outlook from 2025 to 2035

From 2025 to 2035, the short-read sequencing market is projected to grow at a strong CAGR of 18.46%, reflecting the accelerating adoption of genomics technologies across healthcare, agriculture, and research sectors. The market is estimated to reach USD 8,855.75 Million in 2025 and soar to approximately USD 48,653.12 Million by 2035, driven by the increasing need for high-throughput, cost-effective sequencing platforms.

As personalized medicine becomes mainstream and governments invest in national genomics initiatives, short-read sequencing is expected to remain the dominant approach due to its maturity, scalability, and rapidly improving accuracy. Nevertheless, the market’s trajectory will depend on how providers navigate the growing competition from long-read technologies and address challenges related to data interpretation and storage.

Key Market Metrics

Metric Value
Market Size in 2025 USD 8,855.75 Million
Projected Market Size in 2035 USD 48,653.12 Million
CAGR (2025 to 2035) 18.46%

In 2024, the short-read sequencing industry witnessed significant developments

  • Technological Innovations: Companies introduced advanced sequencing platforms with enhanced accuracy and throughput, reducing costs and increasing accessibility for researchers and clinicians.
  • Collaborations and Partnerships: Strategic alliances between sequencing technology providers and pharmaceutical firms accelerated the integration of genomic data into drug discovery and personalized medicine.
  • Regulatory Approvals: Regulatory agencies approved new sequencing applications for clinical diagnostics, expanding the scope of genomic medicine.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the industry is poised for continued growth

  • Market Expansion: The increasing prevalence of genetic disorders and the rising adoption of precision medicine are expected to drive demand for short-read sequencing technologies.
  • Emerging Applications: Applications in agriculture, forensics, and environmental studies are anticipated to open new avenues for market expansion.
  • Global Reach: Growth in emerging markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, is projected to contribute significantly to the industry's expansion.

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Market Analysis

The short-read sequencing industry is on a robust growth trajectory, propelled by technological advancements and a heightened demand for genomic analysis across various sectors. Companies investing in innovation and strategic partnerships are well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities, while those unable to adapt may face challenges in maintaining market relevance.

Top 3 Strategic Imperatives

Invest in Advanced Technologies

To maintain a competitive edge, companies should allocate resources toward the development of next-generation sequencing platforms that offer higher accuracy, increased throughput, and cost efficiency.

Forge Strategic Partnerships

Collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and healthcare providers can facilitate the integration of sequencing technologies into clinical practice and drug development, expanding market reach.

Expand into Emerging Markets

Identifying and establishing a presence in high-growth regions, such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America, can diversify revenue streams and mitigate risks associated with market saturation in developed countries.

Top 3 Risks to Monitor

Risk Probability/Impact
Regulatory Challenges Medium- High
Technological Obsolescence High- High
Market Competition High- Medium

1-Year Executive Watchlist

Priority Item Immediate Action
Enhance Data Security Measures Implement robust cybersecurity protocols to protect sensitive genomic data.
Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience Diversify suppliers and develop contingency plans to mitigate disruptions.
Monitor Regulatory Developments Stay informed about global regulatory changes and adapt compliance strategies accordingly.

For the Boardroom

To sustain growth and competitive advantage, it is imperative to prioritize investments in technological innovation, pursue strategic collaborations, and proactively address regulatory and competitive challenges. By focusing on these areas, the company can navigate the evolving landscape of the short-read sequencing industry and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Survey Findings: Stakeholder Perspectives on the Short-Read Sequencing Industry

In Q4 2024, Future Market Insights conducted a survey involving 450 stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors, and end-users across the United States, Western Europe, Japan, and South Korea. Key insights include:

Key Priorities of Stakeholders

  • Data Accuracy and Reliability: 85% of stakeholders identified the need for precise and reliable sequencing data as a critical priority.
  • Cost Efficiency: 78% emphasized the importance of reducing operational costs without compromising quality.

Regional Variance:

  • United States: 65% highlighted the need for faster turnaround times to support clinical decision-making.
  • Western Europe: 82% prioritized compliance with stringent data protection regulations.
  • Japan/South Korea: 60% focused on the integration of sequencing technologies into existing healthcare systems. Future Market Insights+12The Australian+12Financial Times+12

Embracing Sophisticated Technologies

  • United States: 55% of respondents reported adopting automated sample preparation systems to enhance efficiency.
  • Western Europe: 50% implemented cloud-based data analysis platforms for improved collaboration.
  • Japan: 30% invested in artificial intelligence for data interpretation, citing cost as a barrier.
  • South Korea: 40% adopted blockchain technology for secure data sharing.

Material and Equipment Preferences

  • Consumables: 70% preferred suppliers offering bulk purchasing options to reduce costs.
  • Instruments: 65% favored modular systems that allow for scalability and customization.

Regional Variance:

  • Western Europe: 55% showed a preference for eco-friendly consumables, aligning with sustainability goals.
  • Japan/South Korea: 45% opted for compact equipment designs suitable for limited laboratory space.

Price Sensitivity

  • Global: 85% of stakeholders expressed concern over rising costs of reagents and consumables.

Regional Differences:

  • United States/Western Europe: 60% were willing to invest in premium products offering superior performance.
  • Japan/South Korea: 75% sought cost-effective solutions, with 50% interested in leasing options.

Pain Points in the Value Chain

Manufacturers:

  • United States: 58% of respondents cited challenges related to component shortages, particularly in the supply of semiconductor chips required for sequencing instruments.
  • Western Europe: 49% highlighted compliance burdens from evolving GDPR-like regulations on genomic data.
  • Japan: 62% expressed concerns about declining skilled labor for high-precision instrument assembly, impacting delivery timelines.

Distributors:

  • USA: 68% pointed to delays in customs clearance for imported consumables, especially from Asian suppliers.
  • Western Europe: 51% flagged fluctuating demand cycles, making inventory planning difficult.
  • Japan/South Korea: 64% highlighted rising last-mile logistics costs, particularly in rural and island territories.

End Users (Hospitals, Research Labs, Diagnostic Centers):

  • USA: 47% reported underutilization of installed sequencing platforms due to limited in-house expertise.
  • Western Europe: 42% were frustrated by long onboarding times for new technologies.
  • Japan: 60% said support from vendors was insufficient for training, calibration, and troubleshooting.

Future Investment Priorities

Global Alignment:

  • 76% of companies across the board aim to invest in automation, cloud-based analysis, and data integrity systems.

Regional Divergence:

  • USA: 63% plan to develop real-time sequencing tools for critical care and emergency diagnostics.
  • Western Europe: 59% prioritize low-carbon sequencing workflows to comply with climate directives.
  • Japan/South Korea: 51% intend to build compact plug-and-play platforms for urban hospitals and clinics.

Regulatory Impact

Countries/Regions Government Policies & Regulations Impact
United States CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and FDA oversight guide diagnostic usage. 2024 saw new proposals to standardize next- gen sequencing in oncology panels.
Western Europe The European Union’s IVDR (In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation) continued to tighten, requiring recertification of previously exempt devices. GDPR laws remain stringent for patient genomics.
Japan MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) relaxed rules on remote analysis using cloud platforms, helping diagnostics scale outside large cities.
South Korea MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) rolled out updated digital health compliance norms but still lacks harmonization with global bodies like FDA or EMA.

Country-wise Analysis

United States - CAGR: 19.2%

The USA maintains the strongest ecosystem for short-read sequencing, with robust investments from both public (NIH, NCI) and private sectors. The FDA’s support for LDT (Laboratory Developed Tests) integration has enabled hospitals to rapidly adopt genomic diagnostics for oncology and rare disease screening.

In 2024, companies like Illumina, Thermo Fisher, and Agilent expanded their cloud-linked platforms to reduce turnaround time. Demand from personalized therapy developers and cancer research centers remains high. Additionally, the reimbursement structure has become more favourable for genetic testing post-COVID, unlocking further growth.

United Kingdom - CAGR: 17.9%

The UK’s Genomics England initiative continued to scale in 2024, adding rare disease cohorts and broadening research partnerships. While Brexit introduced regulatory divergence from the EU, the UK adopted a faster approval process for sequencing platforms. Hospitals in the NHS increasingly rely on in-house sequencing labs, and university spin-offs in Cambridge and Oxford drive innovation. However, cost containment pressures on the NHS pose moderate risks to growth velocity.

France - CAGR: 17.2%

France's focus on bioethics and data protection has created a cautious regulatory environment, yet investment in healthcare digitization programs (like MaSanté2022) accelerated sequencing adoption. In 2024, the INSERM and CEA collaborated on a national genomics database that enabled quicker disease gene discovery. Private sector involvement lags behind Germany and the UK, which slightly tempers the growth outlook, but ongoing infrastructure upgrades support expansion in the mid-term.

Germany - CAGR: 18.1%

Germany remains a power player due to its engineering backbone and emphasis on precision medicine. In 2024, several new federal grants were allocated to genomic data integration in hospital information systems. Biotech clusters in Berlin and Munich have pushed for real-time diagnostics in clinical workflows. Despite strict EU compliance costs, Germany’s emphasis on data sovereignty and local manufacturing continues to attract global vendors to establish partnerships and data centers.

Italy - CAGR: 16.4%

Italy lags Western peers in genomic infrastructure but began catching up in 2024 through EU-funded digital health pilots in Lombardy and Lazio. The country suffers from high regional disparity; northern Italy shows strong adoption while the south remains under-equipped. Nonetheless, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly outsourcing genomic testing to domestic labs, creating tailwinds for the industry.

Japan - CAGR: 15.8%

Japan’s aging population presents a growing need for diagnostic genomics, particularly in oncology and cardiogenetics. In 2024, the government subsidized over 100 sequencing centers as part of its aging-care transformation plan. However, conservative medical institutions and resistance to adopting foreign platforms slow down mass usage. Integration with AI is promising, but most implementations remain in pilot phases.

South Korea - CAGR: 16.9%

Korea’s strong ICT backbone makes it well-positioned for rapid digital integration of sequencing tools. In 2024, major conglomerates like Samsung and SK invested in local biotech firms focusing on bioinformatics pipelines. Regulatory clarity has improved, yet pricing restrictions remain stringent. Academic institutions have expanded genome sequencing for pediatric care, and public hospitals are partnering with cloud vendors to scale operations.

China - CAGR: 20.5%

China is the fastest-growing geography due to aggressive government funding and the presence of domestic players like BGI Genomics. In 2024, sequencing became part of mandatory cancer screening in five provinces. IP challenges persist, especially for foreign companies, but the sheer scale of adoption and strong alignment with national healthcare goals give China a dominant role in the global landscape. AI-driven genomics and local manufacturing enable rapid cost reductions.

Australia-New Zealand - CAGR: 17.6%

Australia’s universal healthcare system and digital health roadmap have promoted genomic diagnostics in oncology and infectious disease management. The 2024 introduction of Medicare reimbursement for panel-based sequencing widened access significantly. New Zealand, while slower, benefits from collaborative university research and cross-border funding. Together, the region is emerging as a genomics hub for the southern hemisphere.

Segment-Level Analysis

By Product Outlook

The Consumables segment is currently the undisputed revenue leader and is projected to maintain dominance, expanding at a CAGR of 19-21% over 2025 to 2035. This is driven by the recurring demand for reagents, kits, and flow cells, which scale in direct proportion to sample volume. Unlike instruments, consumables benefit from repeat usage across both research and clinical settings.

Instruments, while essential, are witnessing slower growth (~11-13% CAGR) as many labs transition to as-a-service models or rely on centralized sequencing facilities. The high upfront cost and long lifecycle of platforms like Illumina’s NovaSeq or Thermo’s Ion Torrent contribute to this plateau.

Services are gaining traction, especially among smaller biotech firms and academic users lacking in-house infrastructure. This segment is poised for robust CAGR of ~17-19%, led by outsourcing of bioinformatics, sequencing-as-a-service, and sample preparation.

By Workflow Outlook

Data Analysis is emerging as the bottleneck-turned-opportunity, with a projected CAGR of 20-22%. As sequencing throughput explodes, the market for robust, AI-enhanced bioinformatics platforms is accelerating. Winners here will be companies that simplify variant calling, annotation, and clinical reporting.

Sequencing, the core step, remains strong with a CAGR of 17-19%, driven by continual improvements in read length, accuracy, and throughput.

Pre-Sequencing (sample prep, library construction, enrichment) is slightly slower at ~14-16% CAGR, but crucial for reducing turnaround time. Players offering automated, miniaturized, and multiplexed workflows are gaining share.

By Application Outlook

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) is set to witness the fastest growth (CAGR ~21-23%) as costs drop and its value in rare disease diagnosis, population genomics, and personalized medicine becomes more pronounced.

Targeted Sequencing & Resequencing is still widely adopted due to its cost-efficiency and clinical relevance, particularly in oncology. However, growth is tapering slightly, settling at ~15-17% CAGR, especially as WGS becomes more accessible.

Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) offers a mid-ground and will continue growing at ~16-18%, particularly in the clinical diagnostics of monogenic disorders.

Between DNA-based and RNA-based sequencing, the latter is catching up. RNA-seq is projected to grow at ~20-21% CAGR, fueled by cancer transcriptomics, cellular response profiling, and single-cell sequencing.

By End-use Outlook

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies are the growth engines, with a forecast CAGR of 20-22%, leveraging short-read sequencing for biomarker discovery, drug target validation, and trial stratification.

Hospitals & Clinics are entering a high-growth phase (~18 to 20% CAGR) as regulatory pathways mature and genomic diagnostics become more mainstream, especially in oncology and prenatal care.

Academic & Research Institutes, while still a significant user base, are growing more modestly (~13-15% CAGR), constrained by funding cycles and shifting more toward data analysis and AI modeling.

Market Share of Key Companies

Illumina

  • Market Share: ~80-85% (dominant leader).
  • Key Products: NovaSeq, NextSeq, iSeq platforms.
  • Notes: Maintains near-monopoly in high-throughput short-read sequencing despite recent revenue declines and competition challenges.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

  • Market Share: ~8-12% (via Ion Torrent platforms).
  • Key Products: Ion GeneStudio S5, Ion Proton.
  • Notes: Focuses on niche applications (e.g., targeted sequencing, clinical diagnostics).

BGI Genomics

  • Market Share: ~5-8% (growing rapidly, especially in Asia).
  • Key Products: DNBSEQ-G400, MGISEQ to 2000.
  • Notes: Competes on price; avoids USA due to geopolitical tensions but dominates in China and emerging markets.

Agilent Technologies

  • Market Share: <2% (primarily in library prep & automation).
  • Key Products: Sure Select, Bravo NGS Workstations.
  • Notes: Supplies reagents/workflow tools but does not sell sequencers.

Roche Sequencing Solutions

  • Market Share: <1% (exited sequencing platform market in 2023).
  • Key Products: Focuses on diagnostics (e.g., AVENIO ctDNA kits).

QIAGEN

  • Market Share: <2% (sample prep/kits).
  • Key Products: QIAseq, GeneRead kits.
  • Notes: Critical in NGS workflows but not a sequencer manufacturer.

Pacific Biosciences (PacBio)

  • Market Share: Minimal in short-read (focuses on long-read Revio systems).

Oxford Nanopore Technologies

  • Market Share: 0% in short-read (specializes in long-read MinION/PromethION).

DNASTAR Inc. & Macrogen Inc.

  • Market Share: <1% (service providers/software; Macrogen offers sequencing services using Illumina/BGI platforms).

Frequently Asked Questions

What factors are driving demand for short-read sequencing technologies globally?

Demand is driven by personalized medicine, infectious disease monitoring, and affordable high-throughput capabilities.

How are regulatory frameworks influencing the adoption of these solutions in clinical settings?

Regulatory clarity and companion diagnostic approvals are boosting clinical integration of short-read sequencing.

Which regions are witnessing the highest growth in short-read sequencing adoption?

Asia-Pacific is seeing the fastest growth, while North America remains the dominant market.

What are the key differences between short-read and long-read sequencing platforms?

Short-read is faster and cheaper; long-read is better for structural variation and genome assembly.

How are pharma companies leveraging short-read sequencing in drug discovery?

Pharma uses it for target discovery, biomarker identification, and patient stratification in trials.

Table of Content
  1. Executive Summary
  2. Market Overview
  3. Market Background
  4. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast, 2025 to 2035
  5. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Product
    • Instruments
    • Consumables
    • Services
  6. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Workflow
    • Pre-Sequencing
    • Sequencing
    • Data Analysis
  7. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Application
    • Whole Genome Sequencing
    • Whole Exome Sequencing
    • Targeted Sequencing & Resequencing
    • Other Applications
  8. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By End-Use
    • Academic & Research Institutes
    • Hospitals & Clinics
    • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies
  9. Global Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Region
    • North America
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • East Asia
    • Oceania
    • MEA
  10. North America Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  11. Latin America Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  12. Europe Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  13. South Asia Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  14. East Asia Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  15. Oceania Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  16. MEA Market Analysis 2020 to 2024and Forecast 2025 to 2035, By Country
  17. Key Countries Market Analysis
  18. Market Structure Analysis
  19. Competition Analysis
    • Illumina, Inc.
    • Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
    • Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.
    • BGI
    • QIAGEN
    • Agilent Technologies
    • Psomagen
    • Azenta US, Inc.
    • PerkinElmer, Inc.
    • ProPhase Labs, Inc.
  20. Assumptions & Acronyms Used
  21. Research Methodology

Segmentation

By Product Outlook:

  • Instruments
  • Consumables
  • Services

By Workflow Outlook:

  • Pre-Sequencing
  • Sequencing
  • Data Analysis

By Application Outlook:

  • Whole Genome Sequencing
  • Whole Exome Sequencing
  • Targeted Sequencing & Resequencing
  • DNA-based
  • RNA-based
  • Others

By End-use Outlook:

  • Academic & Research Institutes
  • Hospitals & Clinics
  • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies
  • Others

By Region:

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Western Europe
  • Eastern Europe
  • Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)
  • Japan
  • The Middle East & Africa (MEA)

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