Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market Size was valued at USD 4.01 Billion in 2023. The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives industry is projected to grow from USD 4.60 Billion in 2024 to USD 12.12 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 12.86% during the projected timeframe (2024 - 2032). Increasing health awareness and the ample supply of raw materials are the key market drivers contributing to market growth and expansion.
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
Market CAGR for chitin, chitosan, and derivatives is being driven by rising health awareness. The growing demand for natural and eco-friendly goods across numerous sectors is one of the key contributors to the Market. They are recyclable, toxic-free, and renewable, making them an appealing alternative to harmful synthetic substances. The agriculture industry is a major user, and their usage in agriculture will likely increase in the future. They can enhance soil quality, boost crop yields, and promote plant development and resistance to diseases and pests.
These compounds are also increasingly employed as organic preservatives, solvents, and clearing agents in the food & beverage industries. They are frequently used to minimize the number of germs and fungi in food and to keep it from spoiling. The increasing need for natural and environmentally friendly resources creates substantial potential for the Market. Furthermore, the medical business represents a substantial opportunity for this Market. Because they are biocompatible, biodegradable, and readily changed for particular uses, they appeal to wound healing, medication delivery, and tissue engineering. Also, technical advances in manufacturing procedures are predicted to reduce production costs and boost the effectiveness of chitosan and chitin derivatives manufacturing. This might result in expanded production and lower prices, making them more widely available.
Fears of fresh COVID outbreaks and China's already unclear post-pandemic course create a genuine possibility that the globe may experience more severe supply chain suffering and manufacturing interruptions this year. Volatile markets for finance, rising trade tensions, tightening regulatory surroundings, and more pressure to incorporate the effects of climate change within economic choices will add to the complexity of the issues ahead. Most markets, investors, and consumers are anticipated to have a difficult year in 2023. Nonetheless, opportunities exist for organizations and individuals that can map a course forward with endurance and adaptation.
For instance, the increase in the need for these compounds by the waste & water treatment industries in established and emerging nations is the primary driver of market expansion. Rising uses including in agrochemicals and the development and growth of different end-user sectors, particularly in emerging countries, will also have a direct and beneficial influence on the Market's growth rate. Thus, it is anticipated that demand for Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives will increase throughout the projected timeframe due to rising health awareness. Thus, driving the Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market revenue.
The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market segmentation, based on type, includes Chitin, Chitosan, Glucosamine, and others. The chitosan segment dominated the Market, accounting for 48% of market revenue (USD 1.7 billion) in 2022. The category dominance may be ascribed to the strong demand for chitosan in various use sectors, including beverages and food, farming, aquaculture, packaging for food, and pharmaceuticals.
Figure 1: Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market, by type, 2022 & 2032 (USD Billion)
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market segmentation, based on Applications, includes Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, Animal Feed, Agriculture, and others. The pharmaceuticals & nutraceuticals category and Informatics category generated the highest market revenue of about 41% (USD 2.3 billion) in 2022. The category is expected to develop quickly throughout the projected timeframe, owing to increased consumption of organic food & beverages, particularly in the USA and Europe.
By region, the research provides market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. The North American Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market area will dominate this Market during the projected timeframe, owing to rising health awareness and comprehension of the advantages of chitin, chitosan, and its derivatives. In addition, the rising number of established pharma and nutraceutical industries will boost market growth in the North American region.
Further, the major nations studied in the market report are the US, Canada, German, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.
Figure 2: Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market Share by Region 2022 (USD Billion)
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
Europe region’s Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market accounts for the second-highest market share due to the growing need for environmentally friendly and biodegradable products, as well as increased awareness of the advantages of chitin and chitosan derivatives in a variety of sectors. Further, the German Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market holds the largest market share, and the UK Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market is expected to grow and expand significantly in the European region during the projected timeframe.
The Asia-Pacific Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Marketis expected to grow quickly during the projected timeframe. This is due to fast economic expansion in emerging nations, rapid urbanization and modernization, expanding industry, and ample raw material supply. Moreover, China’s Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market dominates the market share, and the Indian Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market is expected to expand and grow steadily in the Asia-Pacific region during the projected timeframe.
Global Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market
Recent Development
Dec. 15, 2022, Wood plc. (Scotland) announced a collaboration with CuanTec Ltd. (Scotland), a Scottish circular economy business, to develop separation technologies for processing Chitin. The new cutting-edge separation solution will process shellfish waste to extract Chitin, a naturally occurring, compostable biopolymer used in various pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food applications.
The contract will enable Wood to provide the front-end engineering design (FEED) to modify CuanTec's newly acquired separation plant in Scotland, followed by the expansion of that facility. Wood will continue to provide the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) FEED from additional new production facilities globally, enabling mass production of CuanTec's ultra-pure Chitin and chitin-based products.
On Oct. 29, 2022, Cruz Foam announced that its chitin-based packaging has attracted a US$18M investment. The company will utilize these funds to develop naturally derived and compostable alternatives to meet the industry's growing demand for green packaging solutions. It creates materials from Chitin derived from most crustaceans' shells, like crabs, shrimp, lobsters, and many land insects.
Strong, stable, and biodegradable Chitin can be obtained from any seafood processing plant. The company has been working on prototyping an effective process to turn Chitin and other natural ingredients into a material that could replace expanded polystyrene foams (EPFs) like Styrofoam and other common plastic packaging. In addition to electronics, Cruz Foam is poised to break into half a dozen more industries
Leading market players invested heavily in research and Development (R&D) to scale up their manufacturing units and develop technologically advanced solutions, which will help the Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market grow worldwide. Market participants are also undertaking various organic or inorganic strategic approaches to strengthen and expand their footprint, with significant market developments including new product portfolios, contractual deals, mergers and acquisitions, capital expenditure, higher investments, and strategic alliances with other organizations. Businesses are also coming up with marketing strategies such as digital marketing, social media influencing, and content marketing to increase their scope of profit earnings. The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives industry must offer cost-effective and sustainable options to survive in a highly fragmented and dynamic market climate.
Manufacturing locally to minimize operational expenses and offer aftermarket services to customers is one of the critical business strategies organizations use in the Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives industry to benefit customers and capture untapped market share and revenue. The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives industry has recently offered significant advantages to the Food, Beverages, & Nutrition industry. Moreover, more industry participants are utilizing and adopting cutting-edge Technology has grown substantially. Major players in the Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market, including Advanced Biopolymers AS (Norway), G.T.C. Bio Corporation (China), Golden-Shell Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (China), Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH (Germany), Kitozyme, LLC (Belgium), Zhejiang Shinfuda Marine Biotechnology Corp. (China), Meron Group (India), Primex EHF (Iceland), Zhejiang Candorly Pharmaceutical Co. (China), and Panvo Organics Pvt Ltd (India) and others are attempting to expand market share and demand by investing in R&D operations to produce sustainable and affordable solutions.
KitoZyme is the world leader in the production of fungal-derived chitosan and chitin-glucan. Chitin is extracted and utilized to make dietary supplements and medicinal items. KitoZyme creates creative, green, and secure products for the food, health, wine, personal hygiene, and agriculture industries. Kitozyme SA, a Belgium-based firm, has begun manufacturing chitin-based goods derived from non-animal feed. Chitin is extracted and utilized to make dietary supplements and medicinal items.
CuanTec is a Scottish biotech business. Their technologies employ an innovative, scientifically demonstrated method for processing the resulting waste flow in an environmentally conscious manner, yielding natural, ultra-pure chitin with no CO2 emissions, an important advance over traditional chitin extraction methods, which harm the biopolymer and produce harmful byproducts. Hive Energy LTD acquired Cuan Tec, a firm in Glasgow that turns shellfish industrial trash into superior chitin-based goods, in March 2022. The former has invented a novel method for extracting biopolymer chitosan from abandoned scallop trash collected from different fisheries for use in ecologically friendly products.
Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Industry Developments
March 2022: Hive Energy LTD acquired Cuan Tec, a firm in Glasgow that turns shellfish industrial trash into superior chitin-based goods, in March 2022. The former has invented a novel method for extracting biopolymer chitosan from abandoned scallop trash collected from different fisheries for use in ecologically friendly products.
Key manufacturers have recently developed chitin & chitosan-based nanomaterials with potential medical research uses. This potential polymer has novel properties such as non-toxicity, low openness, non-immunogenicity, biological compatibility, and biodegradable properties.
Kitozyme SA, a Belgium-based firm, has begun manufacturing chitin-based goods derived from non-animal feed. Chitin is extracted and utilized to make dietary supplements and medicinal items.
| Report Attribute/Metric | Details |
| Market Size 2023 | USD 4.01 Billion |
| Market Size 2024 | USD 4.60 Billion |
| Market Size 2032 | USD 12.12 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) | 12.86% (2024-2032) |
| Base Year | 2022 |
| Market Forecast Period | 2024-2032 |
| Historical Data | 2018- 2022 |
| Market Forecast Units | Value (USD Billion) |
| Report Coverage | Revenue Forecast, Market Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends |
| Segments Covered | Type, Application, and Region |
| Geographies Covered | North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World |
| Countries Covered | The US, Canada, German, France, UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil |
| Key companies profiled | Advanced Biopolymers AS (Norway), G.T.C. Bio Corporation (China), Golden-Shell Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (China), Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH (Germany), Kitozyme, LLC (Belgium), Zhejiang Shinfuda Marine Biotechnology Corp. (China), Meron Group (India), Primex EHF (Iceland), Zhejiang Candorly Pharmaceutical Co. (China), and Panvo Organics Pvt Ltd (India) |
| Key Market Opportunities | Increasing health awareness |
| Key Market Dynamics | The ample supply of raw materials |
Chitin Chitosan Derivatives Market Highlights:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :
The Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives market size is projected at USD 4.01 Billion in 2023.
The worldwide Chitin, Chitosan, and Derivatives Market is anticipated to grow and expand at a CAGR of 12.86% during the forecasted period.
North America had the largest share of the market
The key participants in the Market are Advanced Biopolymers AS (Norway), G.T.C. Bio Corporation (China), Golden-Shell Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (China), Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH (Germany), Kitozyme, LLC (Belgium), Zhejiang Shinfuda Marine Biotechnology Corp. (China), Meron Group (India), Primex EHF (Iceland), Zhejiang Candorly Pharmaceutical Co. (China), and Panvo Organics Pvt Ltd (India).
The Chitosan category dominated the Market in 2023.
Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals had the largest share in the Market.
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