The Great Transformation of the Bioindustry Driven by Synthetic Biology Innovation: Market Trends and Investment Outlook for 2025

As of November 2025, the global synthetic biology market has reached $39 billion, a 28% increase from the previous year, bringing innovative changes across the bioindustry. According to the latest report from the McKinsey Global Institute, biomanufacturers utilizing synthetic biology technologies have significantly enhanced their market competitiveness by reducing production costs by an average of 40% compared to traditional chemical processes. Particularly, with the rapid advancement of fermentation technology using microorganisms, the shift from traditional petrochemical-based manufacturing to biological manufacturing processes is accelerating.

At the heart of these changes is the innovative advancement of gene editing technology. With the commercialization of next-generation gene editing tools beyond CRISPR-Cas9, it has become possible to precisely design the metabolic pathways of microorganisms to efficiently produce desired compounds. According to an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group, the success rate of biomanufacturing projects utilizing synthetic biology is expected to reach 73% by 2025, a significant improvement from 45% in 2020. This indicates that as the technology matures, the commercial risks have markedly decreased.

Korea’s bioindustry is also actively investing in and developing technologies in line with these global trends. As part of the ‘K-Bio New Deal 2.0’ policy announced by the Korean government, a total of 2.3 trillion won will be invested in the field of synthetic biology by 2025, invigorating research and development activities among domestic bio companies. From large corporations like CJ CheilJedang to promising bio ventures selected by BioSpectator, companies of various sizes are working to establish synthetic biology platforms.

In terms of market segmentation, the largest sector in the synthetic biology market in 2025 is biofuel production, accounting for 32% of the total market at $12.5 billion. This is followed by biopharmaceutical development at 28% ($10.9 billion), industrial enzyme and chemical production at 22% ($8.6 billion), and agricultural biotechnology at 18% ($7 billion). Notably, in the biofuel sector, the joint project between California-based Ginkgo Bioworks and Massachusetts-based Moderna is gaining attention as they advance next-generation biofuel production technology using yeast to the commercialization stage.

Technological Innovation and Competitive Landscape in the Biomanufacturing Industry

The most fiercely competitive area in the synthetic biology-based biomanufacturing industry is alternative protein production. Novonesis, formed by the merger of Netherlands-based DSM and Denmark’s Novozymes, announced that as of the first half of 2025, their production of alternative proteins through microbial fermentation increased by 180% compared to the previous year. This amounts to an annual production scale of 150,000 tons, achieving a 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional livestock farming while lowering production costs by 45%.

Meanwhile, Impossible Foods in Silicon Valley, USA, has further developed technology to produce heme, a key component of plant-based meat, through yeast fermentation using synthetic biology technology. In their third-quarter 2025 earnings announcement, Impossible Foods reported a 65% improvement in hemoglobin production efficiency compared to previous levels, reducing product costs from $12 per kilogram to $7.2, a 40% reduction. This cost innovation signifies that alternative meat products have reached a competitive price level with traditional livestock products.

In the Asian market, Singapore-based Eat Just holds a dominant position in the cultured meat sector. The company has commenced commercial sales of cultured meat products in Singapore and Hong Kong in 2025 and is operating a production facility with a monthly capacity of 5 tons. Notably, Eat Just has reduced the production cost of cultured meat from $50 per kilogram to $18 through its proprietary serum-free culture technology, which is 28% lower than the industry average production cost of $25 per kilogram, demonstrating significant technological superiority.

Domestically, CJ CheilJedang is establishing itself as a global leader in the field of amino acid production based on synthetic biology. In the first half of 2025, the company invested 120 billion won to expand its lysine production facilities based on synthetic biology at its Cilegon plant in Indonesia, increasing its annual production capacity by 57% from 350,000 tons to 550,000 tons. CJ CheilJedang’s proprietary strain development technology has improved production efficiency by 23% compared to traditional fermentation processes while reducing by-product generation by 35%.

New Horizons in Drug Development and Personalized Medicine

One of the most innovative changes brought about by synthetic biology is in the field of personalized medicine development. In October 2025, Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland, unveiled a synthetic biology-based personalized cancer treatment platform. This platform can produce optimized CAR-T cell therapies within 48 hours by analyzing a patient’s genetic information, drastically reducing the manufacturing time from the previous 4-6 weeks. According to Roche’s clinical data, this personalized therapy improved treatment efficacy by 73% compared to existing standard therapies and reduced the incidence of side effects by 45%.

Massachusetts-based Moderna in the USA is accelerating the development of personalized cancer vaccines utilizing synthetic biology, beyond mRNA vaccine technology. According to the phase 2 clinical trial results announced by the company in September 2025, the personalized melanoma vaccine reduced the recurrence rate by 58% when used in combination with existing treatments. Moderna plans to invest an additional $1.5 billion by the end of 2025 to commercialize this technology and aims to apply for FDA approval in the first half of 2026.

In Korea, Celltrion is actively pursuing the development of biopharmaceuticals based on synthetic biology. The company established a synthetic biology research center in the Songdo Biocluster with an investment of 280 billion won in 2025, where its next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology is gaining attention. Celltrion’s proprietary linker technology has improved drug delivery efficiency by 85% compared to existing ADCs while reducing toxicity to normal cells by 65%. This is evaluated as a competitive differentiating technology in the global ADC market.

Innovative advancements continue in the field of diagnostic technology based on synthetic biology. Sysmex, based in Tokyo, Japan, commercialized a liquid biopsy platform utilizing synthetic biology technology in 2025. This technology can detect circulating tumor DNA in the blood with 99.7% accuracy, reducing costs by 80% compared to traditional tissue biopsies and shortening test times from 24 hours to 2 hours. Sysmex announced that its third-quarter 2025 sales increased by 34% compared to the same period last year due to this technology.

In terms of investment and mergers and acquisitions, venture investment in the synthetic biology sector in 2025 increased by 42% from the previous year, reaching $18.7 billion. A particularly noteworthy transaction was Alphabet, Google’s parent company, acquiring UK-based synthetic biology startup Oxygene for $2.3 billion. Oxygene possesses technology to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide using microorganisms and convert it into useful chemicals, which is expected to play a key role in achieving carbon neutrality goals.

Changes in the regulatory environment also significantly impact the development of the synthetic biology industry. In August 2025, the US FDA announced new guidelines for synthetic biology-based drugs, reducing the existing approval process from an average of 18 months to 12 months. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) introduced a fast-track approval process for synthetic biology products around the same time. The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also announced in October 2025 that it would reduce the approval process for innovative synthetic biology-based drugs by 30% through the ‘K-Bio Fast Track’ system.

This regulatory easing is expected to significantly accelerate the commercialization of products by synthetic biology companies. Industry experts predict that from 2026 to 2028, as synthetic biology-based products are officially launched in the market, the revenue growth of related companies will accelerate. In particular, the personalized medicine sector is expected to have an average annual growth rate of 45%, significantly exceeding the overall medical device market growth rate of 7.2%.

However, the synthetic biology industry also faces significant challenges. The biggest concerns are bioethics and safety issues. The potential environmental release of genetically modified microorganisms, the risks of biohacking, and the protection of personal genetic information are causing social controversy. In response, the Global Biosafety Consortium announced an international standard for safety evaluation of synthetic biology products in November 2025, which is expected to become a mandatory guideline for companies in the product development process.

Looking ahead, synthetic biology is expected to create an economic value of $3 trillion in the global bioeconomy by 2030. Particularly, Korea is expected to occupy an important position in the global synthetic biology market based on strong government policy support and active corporate investment. However, not only technological development but also social consensus on ethical and safety issues and the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework are expected to be key factors in the industry’s development. Investors and companies should approach the synthetic biology field with a comprehensive consideration of these multifaceted factors from a long-term perspective.

*This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or recommendations for specific companies. Investment decisions should be made based on individual judgment and responsibility.*