Key indicators of the German equipment and supplies industry

Abstract

A framework is presented to analyse the sector of equipment and supplies in biotechnology. Unlike the much-studied sectors of agro-food and biopharmaceuticals, the biotechnology equipment and supplies industry has been little involved in ethical and social controversies. It is thus interesting to see how this sector developed in absence of ethical or cultural barriers to economic development and integration. We find that the sector in Germany is rather diverse, showing a relatively high degree of commercial development. Prospects for future growth are delineated by discussing supporting and hampering factors in the demand for equipment and supplies in biotechnology.