Leveraging Innovations across Applications Vital for Growth in U.S. Industrial Enzymes Market

Business Wire, June 16, 2008

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Attracted by the cost and process benefits and superior product performance of enzymes, manufacturers of paper and pulp, textile, leather, detergents, wastewater treatment chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and bioethanol increasingly replace harsh chemicals with industrial enzymes. These enzyme producers will have to offer superior and innovative products to sustain this pace of demand.

They will need to draw upon technological breakthroughs in various segments to lure reluctant users toward enzyme technologies and thereby, tap the huge latent potential of the market.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.chemicals.frost.com), The U.S. Industrial Enzymes Markets, finds the market earned revenues of $394.1 million in 2006 and estimates this to reach $748.9 million in 2013.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the U.S. industrial enzymes markets, send an e-mail to Johanna Haynes, Corporate Communications, at jhaynes_pr@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, company telephone number, company e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information via e-mail upon receipt of the above information. All media inquiries please reply directly to johanna.haynes@frost.com.

Manufacturers are unable to make equal investments in each segment. For instance, while bioethanol and pharmaceuticals obtain significant funding, paper and pulp and wastewater treatment segments have to make do with much less. This greatly hampers product development activities in the overall market.

"Manufacturers can circumvent this situation by strategically leveraging the breakthrough achieved in bioethanol and pharmaceutical enzymes in other segments," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst K. Lakshminarayanan. "For example, the state-of-the-art technologies developed for increasing the specificity and efficiency of enzymes developed in the pharmaceutical arena can be leveraged for the development of enzymes for other applications."

The prospects of the industrial enzymes market appear bright as its mainstay application segment. Bioethanol will grow intensely with the passing of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) bill by the Department of Energy (DoE). According to the bill, by 2015 bioethanol production should reach 15 billion gallons, and this augurs well for the bioethanol enzyme segment.

"Going by the bill of materials, average enzyme costs for the production of one gallon of bioethanol is approximately three cents; this translates to huge profits," notes K. Lakshminarayanan. "With respect to the pharmaceutical industry, enzymes remain a major mode of treatment for thrombolytics, cystic fibrosis and intermediaries."

The actual potential of paper and pulp enzymes is at least five times larger than the present market size. The major challenge in this segment is the understanding of chemistry of enzymes on different woods. Apart from this, a typical chemical supplier generates huge revenues and could easily afford to deploy sufficient manpower to handle customers better. The lack of sufficient revenue and expertise on other chemicals prevents enzyme manufacturers to deploy manpower exclusively for handling customers results in the hindrance of new product development.

The market shift toward developing nations such as India and China, reluctance of customers to modify their process to include enzymes, bio sensitization properties of enzymes on humans, and market maturity in certain segments are curtailing the market from achieving its true potential.

Market participants, however, can still score over chemical companies by promoting their products Green-tag positioning with respect to their ability to reduce consumption of chemicals, as well as energy. This can lower waste generated by the products.

The U.S. Industrial Enzymes Markets is part of the Chemicals & Materials Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in the following markets: U.S. enzymes for food applications markets and U.S. animal feed additives markets. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership[TM] empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

The U.S. Industrial Enzymes Markets

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