Forensic Equipment and Supplies Market Size, Forecast [2032]

Report Description

Forensic Equipment and Supplies Market Outlook 2031

The global forensic equipment and supplies market size was USD 8.31 Billion in 2023 and is likely to reach USD 15.61 Billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 7.8% during 2023–2031. The market is propelled by the rising adoption of advanced equipment coupled with a surge in crime rates across major nations.

Growing utilization of upgraded forensic equipment for better investigation of criminal evidence is expected to drive the market. The surge in crime rates and increasing complexities in solving crime cases have fueled the need for different forensic equipment across major nations. 

• According to the Global Organized Crime Index 2023, nearly 6 out of 7 people, which means 83% of the total population worldwide, reside in countries with high crime rates. This is a 4% rise in the last two years. Thus, rising crime incidents are increasing the workload on forensic establishments, which boosts the adoption of technology-driven forensic equipment and supplies.

Governments in various countries are modernizing and expanding forensic institutions to empower law enforcement and research personnel in efficiently solving criminal cases, such as cybercrimes and financial fraud. Additionally, the rising adoption of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), is anticipated to increase growth potentials for the players in the market.

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The research report finds that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the forensic equipment and supplies market. The emergency lockdowns and other preventive measures imposed by various governments across the globe led to restrictions and hindrances on sales and supply of non-essential items. Thus, the production of forensic equipment and supplies slowed during the pandemic with limited manufacturing activities and a shortage of workforce.

Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Forensic Equipment and Supplies Market

AI is anticipated to benefit the market, owing to several advantages enabled by this technology to enhance various forensic procedures. The AI-integrated forensic tools and software solutions are expected to streamline tedious tasks, such as automation of logs analysis, video study, and documentation study & creation, among others. Moreover, increasing areas of applications of AI algorithms in studying cybersecurity breaches are projected to support the growth of the market.

The AI technology is expected to be integrated into several forensic procedures with the aim of rapid and efficient analysis of evidence, using trained parameters. The learning ability of AI from large data volumes is expected to improve speed and accuracy in investigations. Several AI-powered forensic tools have emerged in recent years, thereby driving the market.

• On March 02, 2023, Ambient.ai, the company revolutionizing physical security and computer vision, introduced its AI-driven forensics solution to enable close to real-time incident investigation. The advanced search features included in this tool allow forensic teams to perform searches by objects, behavior complexities, and non-biometric factors, such as clothes color. This, in turn, reduces the time taken for investigation by more than 90%.

Forensic Equipment and Supplies Market Dynamics

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Major Drivers

Rising crime rate across the globe is a major driver of the market. Criminal activities are becoming more sophisticated and untraceable. Crimes, such as cybersecurity breaches, financial frauds, data thefts, piracy, homicides, and thefts & burglaries have significantly increased.

The changing nature of crime, the increasing workload on law enforcement departments, and the complexities in crime are necessitating the adoption of new-generation forensic equipment and supplies to expedite investigations. Thus, governments around the globe are expanding forensic departments to efficiently manage the growing workload. This, in turn, drives the demand for different forensic equipment and supplies.

• On November 21, 2022, the US Department of Justice (DoJ)’s Office of Justice Programs announced almost USD 160 million in funding to support crime investigation laboratories, fund forensics research, reduce DNA backlogs, and aid investigators in locating missing persons and recognizing the remains of humans.

Existing Restraints

High cost of quality forensic instruments and the shortage of skilled personnel are projected to hamper the market. Manufacturing forensic equipment requires significant skillsets, materials, and technologies. Furthermore, ensuring their proper storage, maintenance, and supply increases the overall cost. This, in turn, drives up the equipment cost, which creates barriers for forensic departments with budgetary limitations. The shortage of skilled personnel to handle these instruments is further anticipated to limit the market.

Emerging Opportunities

Rising acceptance of DNA profiling in criminology is expected to create opportunities in the market. DNA samples collected at the crime spot help in solving crimes accurately and quickly. The advancement in forensic science technologies is encouraging market players to commercialize DNA testing kits and enhance their accessibility to global forensic entities. The awareness of several advantages enabled by DNA profiling solutions is further expected to propel the demand for DNA collection and forensic instruments. Additionally, the rising integration of advanced technology and surging social investment in forensic sciences improvement is anticipated to expand growth potentials in the market.

Scope of the Forensic Equipment and Supplies Market Report

The global market research report includes an assessment of the market trends, market segments, and regional markets. Overview and dynamics have also been included in the report.

Market Segment Insights

Product Analysis

In terms of product, the forensic equipment and supplies market is divided into instruments, low-temperature storage devices, evidence drying cabinets, reagents & consumables, and others. The instruments segment is further subdivided into DNA analyzers, spectroscopy equipment, microscopes, fingerprint analyzers, liquid chromatography systems, blood chemistry analyzers, laboratory centrifuges, gas chromatography systems, forensic cameras, and other forensic instruments.

The reagents & consumables segment is expected to dominate the market in terms of demand during the projection period, owing to the rising criminal investigation workload and focus by government and law enforcement agencies on clearing backlog cases.

The forensic reagents include enzymes, antibodies, toxicology control, super mixes, probes, primers, and analysis tools. Whereas, the most demanding forensic consumables include needles, reaction tubes, clippers, pipettes, fingerprint powders, vials, brushes, crime scene kits, and labels. The growing investments in the upgradation of forensic departments and the adoption of DNA profiling methodology are further anticipated to fuel the segment.

The instruments segment is anticipated to register rapid growth in the coming years, due to the rising demand for technologically enhanced tools in forensic laboratories. The ongoing integration of advanced technology in forensic instruments and rising crime incidences are further fueling the segment. Additionally, the growing expansion of forensic establishment in developing regions to improve investigation is expected to boost the segment during the assessment period.

Application Analysis

On the basis of application, the global market is segregated into biometrics, blood analysis, drug testing/toxicology, DNA analysis, and others. The drug testing/toxicology segment is projected to expand at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the rising number of drug testing facilities in major nations across the globe.

Drug testing/toxicology deals with identifying and measuring chemical and pharmacological substances, such as poisons, cocaine, metals, alcohol, gases, and other toxic elements, in a sample collected by investigators. Rising adoption of improved drug testing tools by law enforcement and forensic departments is further boosting the segment in the coming years. Moreover, the increasing number of innovative drugs testing platforms and rising drug addiction and substance abuse cases are fuelling the segment.

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End-user Analysis

Based on end-user, the forensic equipment and supplies market is segmented into research laboratories & academic institutes, government forensic laboratories, and independent forensic laboratories. The government forensic laboratories segment is expected to register a robust growth rate during the assessment period, owing to the increasing investment and funding from various governments to upgrade and strengthen the capabilities of the forensic fields.

Government forensic facilities highly use forensic equipment and supplies in forensic imaging, facial identification, DNA fingerprinting, and histocompatibility analysis. Increasing emphasis on making forensic instruments and technology easily accessible and available to forensic facilities all over the country is further expected to boost the segment.

Regional Outlook

In terms of region, the global forensic equipment and supplies market is classified as Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market during the projection period, owing to the rising public & private funding and investments in the forensics space. The rapid adoption of digital tools in the law enforcement industry is widening opportunities in the market.

The rising commercialization of cutting-edge forensic equipment and supplies, along with the major presence of manufacturers and digital forensics solution providers in the region is anticipated to boost the market in the region. Furthermore, increasing cases of cybercrimes are anticipated to drive the demand for instruments to effectively investigate criminal patterns, identities, and locations of cybercriminals.

• According to a survey report published in August 29, 2023, phishing was the major reported cybercrime to the US Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2022. Approximately 300 thousand individuals were affected by it. Additionally, 59 thousand data breach cases were reported to the center in the same year.

The market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow rapidly, owing to the increasing forensic departments and rising focus from the government to modernize the investigation tools available to the law enforcement industries.

Surging crime rates in major nations of the region are anticipated to propel the demand for forensic instruments and supplies. Additionally, increasing digitization and rising awareness about innovative technology and procedures for crime investigation are driving demand for new-generation tools and supplies, thereby creating opportunities in the market.

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