Antibacterial glass market to reach US$183.3m by 2018

The antibacterial glass (silver and others) market is expected to grow from US$12m in 2011 to $183.3m by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2012 to 2018, according to a new report by Transparency Market Research.

The report, Antibacterial Glass (Silver and Others) Market for Hospitals, Food and Beverage, Military and Other Applications – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012–2018, says the growing number of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections will fuel the industry over the forecast period.

Antibacterial glass provides an effective architectural solution to combat the problem of antibiotics-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and increasing demand for antimicrobial coatings, especially in the healthcare sector, is also expected to drive the industry in the coming years, the report says.

Using antibacterial glass on touchscreen displays of mobile phones, tablets, and 'phablets' to prevent infection is also estimated to be an attractive market opportunity. However, low awareness of the benefits of antibacterial glass among consumers, and need for adherence to stringent environmental regulations during production are key restraining factors, the study finds.

Silver was the most widely used active ingredient for antibacterial glass production, and accounted for 92% of the overall demand in 2012.

Hospitals are expected to remain the largest and fastest-growing users of antibacterial glass, with an estimated CAGR of 6.8% from 2012 to 2018.

Other key market applications include food and beverage packaging, as well as military and household applications.

Europe dominated the global demand, with a market value of $58.7m in 2012, on account of the presence of Belgium-based AGC Glass Europe.

In comparison, key countries in Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW) have low awareness levels of antibacterial glass and therefore are expected to have slower growth than the global average.