Cell Therapy Manufacturing Automation Market Report 2026

The cell therapy manufacturing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.81 billion in 2025 to $2.08 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing cell-processing demand, growing manufacturing scalability needs, rising adoption of automated bioreactors, expansion of GMP-compliant workflows, and increasing focus on production consistency.

The cell therapy manufacturing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $3.58 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing personalized-therapy volumes, growing investment in automation platforms, rising need for contamination-free workflows, expansion of large-scale commercial manufacturing, and increasing regulatory-driven quality requirements. Major trends in the forecast period include technology advancements in closed systems, automation-driven process innovations, integrated workflow developments, real-time analytics research, and advanced robotics research and development.

The increasing demand for gene therapies is expected to drive the expansion of the cell therapy manufacturing automation sector in the coming years. Gene therapy is a medical approach that involves modifying or replacing defective genes to treat or prevent diseases. The rising demand for gene therapy is attributed to advancements in genetic sequencing and diagnostics, which allow precise identification of disease-causing genes for targeted treatment. Cell therapy manufacturing automation facilitates gene therapy by streamlining and standardizing complex production processes, ensuring consistent quality and scalability. It supports therapeutic development by minimizing errors, enhancing efficiency, and enabling reliable large-scale manufacturing of gene-modified cells. For example, in December 2024, the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), a US-based non-profit medical and scientific organization, reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved six gene therapy products in 2023, up from five approvals in 2022. Consequently, the increasing demand for gene therapies is fueling the growth of the cell therapy manufacturing automation sector.

Leading companies in the cell therapy manufacturing automation sector are concentrating on creating advanced solutions, such as automated cell therapy systems, to integrate multi‑stage manufacturing processes into unified, validated digital frameworks that minimize manual interventions and ensure regulatory compliance. An automated cell therapy system is an off‑the‑shelf validated automation solution that digitally links cell therapy instruments (e.g., magnetic separation, centrifugation, electroporation, incubators) through a single interface, providing traceability, consistency, and cGMP compliance throughout production stages. For example, in January 2024, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a US-based life sciences company, introduced Gibco CTS Cellmation Software, a pioneering automation solution. This off-the-shelf validated software digitally connects instruments across Thermo Fisher’s cell therapy portfolio to automate manufacturing workflows. It features a pre-validated automation system powered by Emerson’s DeltaV technology, allowing seamless integration and control of multiple instruments without expensive custom projects, and establishes traceable, repeatable workflows that support cGMP compliance and data security, while reducing manual touchpoints for cell therapy developers.

In July 2024, Cellular Origins Ltd., a UK-based provider of automated cell and gene therapy manufacturing solutions, acquired the Autologous Cell Therapy Industrial Automation (ACTIA) Platform IP for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Cellular Origins strengthened its automated manufacturing technology portfolio by enhancing the Constellation robotic platform to boost scalability, minimize production bottlenecks, and support industrialized cell therapy manufacturing processes. ACTIA Platform IP is a US-based intellectual property platform specializing in industrial automation solutions for autologous cell therapy manufacturing.

Major companies operating in the cell therapy manufacturing automation market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck KGaA, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Corning Incorporated, Lonza Group AG, Cytiva, WuXi AppTecCo. Ltd., Hitachi High Technologies Corp., CatalentInc., Sartorius AG, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Terumo BCT Inc., Miltenyi Biotec, Oxford Biomedica Plc, National Resilience LLC, Minaris Regenerative Medicine LLC, Tulip Interfaces Inc., Invetech Pty Ltd., BlueRock Therapeutics LLC, Cellares Inc., Ascential Medical & Life Sciences, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.

North America was the largest region in the cell therapy manufacturing market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the cell therapy manufacturing automation market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the cell therapy manufacturing automation market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs have influenced the cell therapy manufacturing automation market by affecting the import of robotic systems, automated bioreactors, and high-precision laboratory equipment, leading to increased costs for manufacturers. the impact is particularly significant in north america and europe, where imported advanced automation technologies are widely used. upstream process equipment and cryopreservation units are most affected, while local manufacturing initiatives and technology transfers are creating opportunities for cost optimization and domestic production, offering some positive effects by incentivizing regional innovation.

Cell therapy manufacturing automation involves the utilization of automated, robot- or software-driven systems for cell isolation, expansion, processing, and quality control to enhance scalability, consistency, and sterility in cell therapy production. This sector encompasses automated closed-system bioreactors, robotic cell-handling platforms, automated cryopreservation units, integrated quality-control and monitoring tools, as well as software solutions for workflow management, electronic batch records, and GMP compliance.

The main components of cell-therapy manufacturing automation solutions include hardware, software, and services. Hardware includes automated processing systems and bioreactors enabling scalable and compliant production. These tools support T-cells, stem cells, NK cells, and others, across upstream processing, downstream processing, fill-finish, quality control, and more, serving pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, CMOs, and others.

The cell therapy manufacturing automation market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as automated cell processing, workflow integration, process monitoring and control, digital manufacturing execution, and equipment validation and maintenance. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The cell therapy manufacturing automation market also includes sales of automated cell culture systems, robotic liquid handling platforms, closed system bioreactors, process control software, and integrated manufacturing hardware. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.