The European market for laboratory, testing, and analytics services in the healthcare and MedTech sectors is undergoing a phase of accelerated consolidation in 2025. The main drivers are regulatory tightening (MDR/IVDR), increasing requirements for quality assurance, and rising cost pressure on medical product manufacturers. As a result, external, specialized testing service providers are becoming an increasingly critical part of the value chain.
The still highly fragmented market, especially in the DACH region with numerous family-owned and highly specialized laboratories generating revenues in the lower double-digit million range, offers attractive inorganic growth opportunities. International platforms such as Eurofins, Normec, or Sonic are systematically expanding their European testing networks to consolidate regulatory expertise, geographic coverage, and time-to-market advantages. These buy-and-build strategies create scale effects in accreditation, IT systems, sales, and administration, while simultaneously raising entry barriers for smaller providers. More on this on page 3 of the report.
The acquisition of ac.biomed GmbH by Eurofins Scientific SE is an exemplary case of this development. The purchase strengthens Eurofins’ regulatory depth in MedTech testing, expands its DACH presence, and follows a clear add-on logic. For mid-sized testing service providers, the transaction underscores the importance and attractiveness of clear specialization, accredited testing expertise, and professional processes as a basis for strategic exits. More on this on page 5 of the report.
For MedTech SMEs on the manufacturer side, the ongoing consolidation also brings advantages through integrated, professional testing partners. Overall, healthcare testing and compliance remains a dynamic M&A segment, where regulatory complexity, scaling, and operational excellence are the key value drivers.
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