Forensic Products Market Projected To Grow Significantly, Reaching USD 23.5 Billion by 2033

Introduction

The Global Forensic Products Market is poised for substantial growth over the next decade. By 2033, the market is expected to reach a value of approximately USD 23.5 billion, a significant increase from USD 10.4 billion in 2023. This growth represents a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% from 2024 to 2033. Several factors contribute to this impressive expansion. Increasing crime rates and the subsequent demand for advanced forensic solutions drive market growth.

The increasing prevalence of criminal activities worldwide is a major driver for the growth of the forensics products and services market. Technological advancements have significantly transformed the field of forensics, enabling more efficient and precise analysis of evidence. Innovations such as DNA profiling, digital forensics tools, advanced imaging techniques, and forensic software have greatly enhanced the capabilities of forensic professionals, leading to heightened demand for these products and services.

Awareness among law enforcement agencies, legal professionals, and the general public about the effectiveness of forensic science in solving crimes has grown substantially. This increased awareness and acceptance have further propelled the expansion of the forensics products and services market. Additionally, collaboration and information sharing among forensic agencies and organizations on an international scale have improved the exchange of best practices, research findings, and technological advancements.

This global collaboration has driven the development and adoption of new forensic products and services. The surge in the use of digital devices and technology in criminal activities has significantly increased the demand for digital forensics products and services. The need to recover and analyze digital evidence from computers, smartphones, and other devices has fueled market growth in this sector.

Forensic products and services extend beyond criminal investigations and are also utilized in civil litigation cases, such as intellectual property disputes, fraud investigations, and accident reconstructions. The rising number of civil litigation cases globally has further expanded the forensics products and services market.

Key Takeaways

• Market Size: Forensic Products Market size is expected to be worth around USD 23.5 Billion by 2033 from USD 10.4 Billion in 2023.
• Market Growth: The market growing at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2033..
• Application Analysis: Drug Testing and Toxicology held a substantial 33% market share in 2023, driven by the need for accurate substance detection in law enforcement and legal settings.
• End-User Insights: Government Forensic Laboratories dominated with a 57% market share in 2023, highlighting their crucial role in law enforcement and justice systems.
• Regional Breakdown: North America led the market with a 38% share, attributed to increased demand for forensic analyses across law enforcement and private sectors.
• Drivers: Advances in forensic technology, rising global crime rates, and the expanding application scope beyond law enforcement are key growth drivers.
• Trends: Dominance of digital forensics and the emergence of environmental forensics are shaping market trends.
• Challenges: Budget constraints in public sectors and compliance issues pose challenges to market penetration and product development.
• Opportunities: Global expansion opportunities and the demand for customization and integration services present growth avenues for market players.

Forensic Products Statistics

• Requests for Service: In 2020, publicly funded forensic crime laboratories in the U.S. received approximately 3.3 million requests for service​.
• Controlled Substances Analysis: Requests for controlled substances analysis accounted for 33% of all service requests received by crime labs in 2020​​.
• Backlog: At the end of 2020, crime labs had a backlog of about 710,900 requests that had not been completed within 30 days​​.
• State-run Labs: State-run crime labs received nearly 60% of all service requests in 2020​.
• Employment Growth: Employment of forensic science technicians is projected to grow 13% from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than the average for all occupations​.
• Annual Openings: About 2,600 openings for forensic science technicians are projected each year over the decade, primarily due to workers transferring to other occupations or exiting the labor force.
• Employment in 2022: Forensic science technicians held approximately 18,500 jobs in 2022​.
• Median Annual Wage: The median annual wage for forensic science technicians was $64,940 in 2022.
• Top Employers: The largest employers of forensic science technicians were local governments (60%), followed by state governments (26%)​​.
• Top Paying Industry: The top paying industry for forensic science technicians is the federal government, with an average annual wage of $119,630​.
• Geographic Distribution: California employed the highest number of forensic science technicians (2,390) as of 2023, with an annual mean wage of $98,400​​.
• Job Concentration: Arizona had the highest concentration of jobs for forensic science technicians, with an employment quotient of 2.39 per thousand jobs​​.
• Employment by Lab Type: Of the 326 crime labs surveyed in 2020, 293 (90%) provided data, showing variations in workload and resources across different types of labs.
• Accreditation: A significant number of forensic laboratories undergo accreditation and quality assurance measures to maintain standards​​.
• Funding: Publicly funded forensic laboratories rely heavily on government funding, with various grants and programs supporting their operations​.

Company Recent Developments

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (March 2024): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced the acquisition of Microtrace LLC, a leading provider of forensic microanalysis services. This acquisition is expected to enhance Thermo Fisher’s forensic capabilities by
  integrating advanced microanalysis technologies, enabling more precise and reliable forensic investigations.
• GE Healthcare (April 2024): GE Healthcare introduced the Forensic 360, a cutting-edge forensic imaging system designed to provide high-resolution images for detailed forensic analysis. This system leverages advanced imaging technologies to assist forensic experts in uncovering critical evidence with greater accuracy and efficiency.
• Agilent Technologies, Inc. (February 2024): Agilent Technologies, Inc. merged with Advanced Forensic Solutions Ltd., a company specializing in forensic software and services. The merger aims to combine Agilent’s analytical instruments with Advanced Forensic Solutions’ software, offering comprehensive forensic analysis solutions to law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories.
• NMS Labs (May 2024): NMS Labs completed the acquisition of Forensic Bioinformatics, Inc., a company known for its expertise in forensic DNA analysis. This acquisition strengthens NMS Labs’ position in the forensic market by expanding its DNA testing capabilities and enhancing its service offerings to the forensic community.
• Verogen, Inc.(June 2024): Verogen, Inc. launched the ForenSeq Kintelligence Kit, a next-generation sequencing (NGS) solution for forensic genomics. The kit is designed to provide comprehensive genetic analysis for forensic casework, offering improved sensitivity and accuracy in identifying individuals from complex forensic samples.

Emerging Trends

• Synthetic Opioids: Forensic labs are developing new methods to detect over 1,000 synthetic opioids and emerging drugs annually​.
• Case Backlogs: In 2020, forensic laboratories reported a backlog of 710,900 cases, highlighting the need for workflow efficiency improvements​.
• Non-targeted Testing: Laboratories using non-targeted testing techniques can monitor nearly 1,000 drugs at a time, enhancing the detection of new synthetic drugs​.
• Public Health Alerts: The NPS Discovery program issues public health alerts for new drugs, reporting thousands of detections and related deaths annually​.
• Forensic Chemistry Tools: NIST has developed tools that increase confidence in drug compound identification, crucial for analyzing the approximately 20,000 drug samples submitted each year​.
• Workforce Growth: Employment of forensic science technicians is projected to grow by 13% from 2022 to 2032, with about 2,600 new openings each year​.
• Drug Compound Identification: Laboratories face challenges in identifying over 500 new psychoactive substances that appear each year​​.
• Technology Implementation: The FTCoE supports the implementation of new forensic technologies in over 300 forensic laboratories across the U.S.​​
• Knowledge Transfer: The FTCoE provides knowledge transfer through over 50 web-based presentations, workshops, and events annually​​.
• DNA Analysis: Advanced DNA analysis methods, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are used in over 10,000 cases each year​.
• Data Sharing: Improved data access and exchange among forensic laboratories have resulted in the rapid identification of new drugs in 100% of monitored cases.
• Law Enforcement Collaboration: NIST collaborates with federal laboratories, such as the DEA, impacting over 50,000 drug interdiction cases annually​.
• Forensic Science Education: Continuous education programs reach over 1,000 forensic professionals each year, ensuring they stay updated with new trends and technologies.
• Novel Psychoactive Substances: Forensic scientists identify and characterize approximately 300 novel psychoactive substances each year​.
• Forensic Research Library: The forensic research library provides access to thousands of articles, with over 50,000 visits annually, aiding researchers and practitioners​​.

Use Cases

• Latent Print Analysis: Algorithms help analysts compare details in latent prints from crime scenes to databases. They search larger databases faster and more consistently than human analysts alone, improving accuracy and efficiency​​.
• Facial Recognition: Forensic algorithms extract details from images and compare them to large databases. These algorithms enhance speed and accuracy in identifying individuals, though they still require human oversight to avoid errors​​.
• Probabilistic Genotyping: This technique evaluates complex DNA evidence, such as samples with multiple contributors. It provides a numerical measure of the strength of evidence, aiding in more accurate DNA analysis​​.
• Ballistic Imaging: The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) uses digital images of bullets and cartridge cases to link crime scenes and suspects. This system has been instrumental in solving gun-related crimes by matching shell casings from different crime scenes​​.
• Forensic Intelligence: Using forensic data early in investigations helps law enforcement identify links between cases, understand crime trends, and make meaningful connections between evidence, suspects, and crime scenes​.
• Digital Forensics: Open-source software is used for case management, data acquisition, and analysis in digital forensic labs. These tools offer cost-effective and flexible solutions for handling digital evidence​​.
• Cold Case Investigation: Modern forensic techniques, such as DNA analysis and advanced fingerprint technology, have been used to reinvestigate and solve cold homicide cases, providing justice for long-unsolved crimes​​.
• Gun Crime Investigations: Integrated forensic evidence collection and analysis help law enforcement agencies quickly identify violent individuals and prevent future crimes through data correlation techniques.
• Drug Identification: Forensic chemistry tools, such as those developed by NIST, help identify novel psychoactive substances and other drugs. These tools improve the accuracy and efficiency of drug analysis in forensic labs​.
• AI in Forensics: Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are increasingly used to automate the assessment of evidence, enhancing the objectivity and speed of forensic investigations​​.

Conclusion

The Forensic Products Market is set for robust growth, projected to rise from USD 10.4 billion in 2023 to approximately USD 23.5 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. This expansion is driven by technological advancements enhancing forensic capabilities, increased global crime rates, and broader applications beyond law enforcement. Digital forensics and innovations like DNA profiling are pivotal in this growth, supported by collaborations among international forensic agencies.

Despite challenges such as budget constraints, opportunities lie in global expansion and customized service demands. The market’s trajectory underscores its critical role in modern crime-solving and judicial processes.

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