The Europe gene synthesis (research use) market size was exhibited at USD 414.23 million in 2024 and is projected to hit around USD 1811.64 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 15.9% during the forecast period 2025 to 2034.
The Europe Gene Synthesis (Research Use) Market is emerging as a cornerstone of modern biological and medical research. Gene synthesis refers to the artificial creation of DNA sequences that are not derived from natural templates but are instead designed computationally and manufactured chemically. While gene synthesis is foundational to synthetic biology, its applications in Europe span a wide range of research purposes, including vaccine development, functional genomics, gene and cell therapy modeling, virology, antibody engineering, and biotechnology innovation.
The European market is benefiting from a confluence of enabling factors advancements in synthesis chemistry, the decreasing cost of oligonucleotide manufacturing, and the robust R&D investments by public and private entities. Research institutions across the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands have adopted gene synthesis to accelerate discovery cycles and reduce reliance on time-intensive cloning procedures. Additionally, the region’s proactive stance on developing translational genomic research ecosystems and the rapid evolution of therapeutic platforms like mRNA vaccines and CRISPR-Cas9 systems are contributing to increased demand for gene synthesis services.
Although the European gene synthesis market remains geared toward research use and not direct clinical application, its impact on drug discovery, preclinical testing, and vaccine prototyping is considerable. Service providers across Europe and international suppliers with European facilities offer tailored synthesis solutions, including long-gene synthesis, codon optimization, and modular cloning systems, to meet the region’s growing scientific complexity.
Expansion of Synthetic Biology Projects: EU-backed synthetic biology initiatives are increasing the use of synthetic genes in foundational research across energy, environment, and health sectors.
Growth in Vaccine and Antibody Engineering: Demand for synthetic gene constructs for viral antigens, monoclonal antibody templates, and vaccine vectors has surged post-COVID.
Shift Toward Automation and High-throughput Platforms: Robotic handling systems and chip-based synthesis platforms are enabling faster, error-free gene assembly.
Emergence of Gene Assembly-as-a-Service Models: Startups and CROs offer cloud-based portals for customized gene design and on-demand synthesis.
Increasing Codon Optimization for Host-specific Expression: Researchers seek gene constructs tailored to specific expression hosts, such as E. coli, yeast, or mammalian cells.
Strategic Collaborations Between Academia and Industry: Public-private partnerships in Germany, the UK, and Sweden are facilitating access to synthetic biology tools.
Biosecurity and Ethical Oversight: Regulatory vigilance over dual-use synthetic sequences and screening protocols is rising across Europe, influencing provider operations.
Report Coverage | Details |
Market Size in 2025 | USD 480.09 Million |
Market Size by 2034 | USD 1811.64 Million |
Growth Rate From 2025 to 2034 | CAGR of 15.9% |
Base Year | 2024 |
Forecast Period | 2025-2034 |
Segments Covered | Method, Service, Application, Research Phase, End-use, Region |
Market Analysis (Terms Used) | Value (US$ Million/Billion) or (Volume/Units) |
Regional scope | Europe |
Key Companies Profiled | GenScript; Azenta, Inc. (GENEWIZ); Boster Biological Technology; Twist Bioscience; ProteoGenix, Inc; Biomatik; ProMab; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (Danaher); OriGene Technologies, Inc. |
A significant driver propelling the Europe gene synthesis (research use) market is the rising demand for customized synthetic DNA constructs in translational and experimental research. Traditional cloning techniques often require labor-intensive and error-prone steps such as PCR amplification, restriction digestion, and ligation. In contrast, gene synthesis allows researchers to obtain ready-to-use DNA sequences ranging from short motifs to multi-kilobase operons tailored to their exact specifications.
This capability has enabled European researchers to bypass biological constraints and create optimized gene variants for studying protein function, testing gene therapy vectors, or modeling disease mutations. For instance, institutes working on CRISPR-based gene editing rely on synthesized guide RNAs and donor templates for precise genomic manipulation. Similarly, mRNA vaccine developers across Europe utilize synthetic genes to encode spike protein antigens, accelerating response times during outbreaks. As universities, pharmaceutical companies, and CROs strive for faster and more reliable R&D outputs, gene synthesis has become an indispensable tool in their molecular biology arsenal.
Despite the advantages of gene synthesis, regulatory complexity and biosecurity concerns continue to restrain the market’s free expansion, especially in Europe where ethical oversight is stringent. Synthesizing genes that resemble harmful pathogens or encode potentially dangerous proteins raises concerns about dual-use research where legitimate scientific inquiry could be misappropriated for harmful purposes.
To address these issues, agencies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and national bioethics councils have developed frameworks to monitor synthetic biology practices. Gene synthesis companies must conduct bioinformatics-based screening of customer-submitted sequences against pathogen databases, and suspicious sequences are flagged or rejected. These added responsibilities require service providers to invest in compliance software, expert review, and secure data systems raising operational costs. Furthermore, evolving GDPR compliance rules for data handling add to the regulatory load. For small labs and early-stage startups, navigating these constraints can be a significant hurdle to accessing synthetic DNA services.
An emerging opportunity in the Europe gene synthesis market lies in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for synthetic gene design. The traditional approach to gene design often involves iterative codon optimization, structural prediction, and manual curation. AI tools can now automate and optimize these tasks by analyzing large datasets to predict secondary structures, expression levels, and protein folding characteristics.
Several European startups and academic groups are developing AI-assisted platforms that allow researchers to input desired protein features and receive gene sequences optimized for various hosts and conditions. This includes prediction of off-target effects in gene editing, immune responses to synthetic constructs, and stability profiles. Companies integrating AI into their synthesis pipelines can offer faster turnaround, higher success rates, and smarter construct design. As the volume and complexity of synthetic biology projects grow, AI-enhanced synthesis services are expected to offer a competitive edge and open new verticals in gene circuit engineering, metabolic pathway design, and synthetic genomics.
Solid-phase synthesis currently dominates the Europe gene synthesis market, primarily due to its precision, scalability, and historical ubiquity. In this method, nucleotide residues are added sequentially to a growing DNA strand anchored to a solid support, ensuring high-fidelity base incorporation and minimal errors. This technique is well-suited for producing short to medium-length oligonucleotides and genes, which are widely used in PCR, qPCR, and short gene expression studies. Laboratories and service providers prefer this method for its maturity, robust quality control processes, and compatibility with automated synthesis instruments.
Chip-based synthesis is the fastest-growing segment, especially as high-throughput research and synthetic biology projects demand multiplexed DNA generation. Chip-based systems can synthesize thousands of sequences in parallel using microarray platforms, reducing per-sequence cost and time. Institutions involved in synthetic genome construction, large-scale antibody library generation, or combinatorial pathway testing increasingly use chip-based synthesis for scalability. European biofoundries in the UK and Germany are rapidly adopting this method to facilitate industrial-scale applications and synthetic pathway screening, pushing this method to the forefront of high-volume gene assembly.
Antibody DNA synthesis is the dominant service type, driven by high demand in immunology and oncology research. With monoclonal antibodies becoming key therapeutic and diagnostic tools, researchers synthesize variable region genes (VH and VL), constant region domains, and fusion constructs to study efficacy, binding affinity, and immunogenicity. Custom antibody gene synthesis allows faster generation of humanized or chimeric antibodies for both preclinical and translational studies. European academic institutions, such as Karolinska Institute in Sweden and Institut Pasteur in France, use these services extensively to accelerate immunotherapeutic discovery.
Viral DNA synthesis is emerging as the fastest-growing service, spurred by increasing interest in gene therapy and vaccine vector development. Researchers across Europe synthesize viral capsid genes, promoter elements, and vector backbones to construct adeno-associated virus (AAV), lentivirus, and oncolytic viral systems. Companies and labs involved in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development and next-gen viral delivery systems are leveraging custom viral DNA synthesis to prototype novel vectors. With growing R&D focus on rare diseases, cancer gene therapy, and pandemic preparedness, demand for safe, efficient, and synthetically derived viral components is rising steadily.
Gene and cell therapy development currently leads the application segment, reflecting Europe’s growing ecosystem of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Synthetic genes play a critical role in designing and producing expression cassettes for CAR-T therapies, gene correction constructs, and CRISPR-based therapeutic platforms. Countries like the UK and Germany are hubs for clinical-stage gene therapy research, and organizations such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have created regulatory pathways for innovative products. This has resulted in consistent growth in demand for precise, non-immunogenic gene sequences suitable for preclinical validation.
Vaccine development is the fastest-growing application, especially in the wake of global health emergencies. The synthetic biology approach to vaccine design involves synthesizing antigen-encoding DNA, replicon sequences, and expression templates, all of which can be produced rapidly using synthetic gene technology. The success of mRNA and DNA vaccines has spotlighted gene synthesis as a critical enabler of agile response platforms. European developers—such as CureVac (Germany), GSK (UK), and Sanofi (France)—have expanded their synthetic biology and vaccine innovation pipelines, directly boosting the need for rapid, custom DNA constructs.
Pre-clinical research dominates in terms of gene synthesis utilization, since synthetic constructs are primarily used in proof-of-concept studies, molecular mechanism investigations, and target validation. Most synthetic genes in Europe are ordered for expression studies, animal model testing, or assay development in academic and early-industry settings. This phase allows flexibility in experimenting with gene variants, regulatory sequences, and plasmid architectures without requiring GMP-grade synthesis.
Clinical-phase gene synthesis, while smaller, is growing quickly, particularly for IND-enabling studies where genes are used to produce biologics, vectors, or reagents under strict regulatory standards. European CROs and CMOs increasingly order synthetic DNA to support clinical trials involving novel biologics, biosimilars, or gene-editing candidates. Although not directly implanted in patients, these genes are essential for producing cGMP-grade intermediates, facilitating a steady rise in synthesis demand from translational research facilities and clinical manufacturing units.
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are the leading end-users, as they integrate synthetic gene technologies into pipeline development, therapeutic screening, and bioproduction. Companies like Novartis, Roche, and AstraZeneca, along with biotech firms such as Oxford Biomedica and Genmab, depend on synthesized DNA for antibody generation, cell line engineering, and synthetic promoter testing. These firms are key clients for European synthesis providers and benefit from rapid turnaround and confidentiality protections.
Academic and government research institutes are the fastest-growing end-user segment, buoyed by EU and national grants supporting frontier research. Institutes across the Netherlands, Denmark, and Spain are engaging in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and immunological studies that rely heavily on modular gene design. Funding from Horizon Europe and national science foundations is enabling broader access to gene synthesis services for hypothesis-driven, curiosity-based science.
Germany leads the Europe gene synthesis (research use) market due to its advanced life sciences ecosystem, strong academic-industry linkages, and proactive government support. The country hosts a large number of synthetic biology research centers, biotech startups, and multinational pharmaceutical headquarters that demand sophisticated gene synthesis services. German institutions such as the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz Association are at the forefront of genomics and bioengineering, frequently partnering with synthesis providers for functional studies.
Moreover, Germany is home to prominent gene synthesis providers such as Eurofins Genomics, and benefits from a well-integrated logistics infrastructure for DNA delivery across Europe. Regulatory oversight is balanced, with strict biosecurity measures that encourage responsible innovation. With major investments into AI-driven genomics platforms and the expansion of gene-editing research, Germany remains the bellwether market for gene synthesis adoption in the research landscape.
In March 2025, Twist Bioscience announced the opening of a European distribution hub in Germany to reduce delivery timelines for synthetic DNA orders across the continent.
Eurofins Genomics launched a new high-throughput gene synthesis platform in April 2025, enabling parallel synthesis of long gene fragments for vaccine and therapeutic research.
In February 2025, Evonetix, a UK-based synthetic biology firm, expanded its R&D team in Cambridge to accelerate development of silicon-based chip synthesis for the European market.
GenScript Biotech, with strong European customer base, announced in May 2025 an exclusive partnership with a French CRO to provide tailored gene synthesis services for preclinical studies.
The European Synthetic Biology Infrastructure (EU-SynBio) awarded €18 million in funding in January 2025 to support national labs in Spain, Norway, and Sweden for collaborative gene synthesis and metabolic engineering projects.
This report forecasts revenue growth at country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2034. For this study, Nova one advisor, Inc. has segmented the Europe gene synthesis (research use) market
By Method
By Service
By Application
By Research Phase
By End-use
By Regional