A Whistle-Stop Tour Around the Cell And Gene Therapy World
When you step back and take a truly global VantagePoint™, it’s remarkable how diversely and dynamically the cell and gene therapy (CGT) ecosystem is evolving. Different regions are leaning into their strengths: infrastructure, regulatory experimentation, workforce training, or cost disruption. For those building the enabling technologies behind CGT; the reagents, digital tools, automation platforms, and analytics, this creates a mosaic of opportunity.
At Lonrú Consulting, we wanted to give you a snapshot tour; east to west of the latest regional dynamics shaping CGT, and why they matter for tool providers. To make this more dynamic, we’ve built an interactive globe that lets you spin from Singapore to São Paulo, click into a region, and see the highlights in context. Scroll down to explore the journey and engage with the map.
Around the World: Regional Cell & Gene Therapy Highlights
How to explore
- Drag to rotate. Wheel or pinch to zoom.
- Click a pin to open details. Popups appear above pins.
- Use ⟵ ⟶ to step through regions. Auto View resets to AU/NZ.
Asia-Pacific
Australia
Australia is building sovereign CGT manufacturing strength. Facilities in Melbourne and Brisbane are focusing on viral vector supply and GMP cell manufacturing. Vendors in automated bioprocessing, digital quality control, and real-time analytics will find strong demand. Workforce training initiatives reinforce adoption of closed-system and scalable platforms.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s CGT presence is smaller but growing through clinical trial networks and government-backed biotech initiatives. Tool providers with portable manufacturing and data-light QC solutions can position early, especially as NZ leverages collaboration with Australian hubs.
Singapore
Singapore has established itself as a Southeast Asian CGT hub. Investments in ACTRIS, Biopolis, and REMEDIS are structured to help projects move smoothly from pilot scale to GMP. This creates appetite for MES systems, electronic batch records, and analytics tools that reduce tech transfer friction.
China
China is home to a rapidly expanding CGT pipeline across oncology, ocular, and metabolic programs. NMPA approvals are rising, which drives demand for genome editing platforms, delivery systems, and CMC characterization tools.
Japan
Japan’s conditional approval pathway accelerates regenerative therapies but requires real-world evidence. Vendors with decentralized manufacturing solutions, potency assays, and hospital-ready quality systems are well positioned.
South Korea
South Korea is scaling with policy support and new facilities. Growth projections exceed 15 percent annually, opening opportunities for automated expansion tools, comparability assays, and cold-chain logistics solutions.
India
India’s NexCAR19, the first indigenous CAR-T, showcases a cost-disruptive model. Hospitals require affordable closed systems, in-country QC, and vendor platforms that allow efficient tech transfer. This makes India a value-driven market for enabling technologies.
Thailand
Thailand’s conditional approval framework for ATMPs signals regulatory openness. Vendors offering decentralized manufacturing tools and pharmacovigilance-friendly platforms will find traction.
Taiwan
Taiwan offers first-in-human approvals in as little as 30 days and has deep CAR-T experience. This is an ideal environment for early evaluation of compact processing systems, integrated data packages, and analytics platforms.
Middle East
Israel
Israel is a powerhouse for CGT startups and rapid clinical iteration. Compact bioprocess hardware, digital analytics, and novel delivery tools can find quick uptake and serve as proving grounds for global scale.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE’s Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) is running trials in cell therapies, while G42 Healthcare invests in AI and advanced clinical research. This signals demand for analytics, automation, and quality systems beyond traditional cleanroom builds. Vendors offering QC labs, turnkey closed systems, and digital solutions are well positioned.
Saudi Arabia
King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh is leading CAR-T clinical trial development. Vision 2030 prioritises biotech and regenerative medicine, backed by sovereign wealth funding. Demand signals include automated CAR-T expansion platforms, digital QC, and workforce training aligned with rapid scaling ambitions.
Qatar
Sidra Medicine in Doha is developing regenerative medicine programs and rare disease genomics. Government R&D investment in precision medicine is strong, with opportunities for vendors in genome editing tools, sequencing analytics, and rare disease-focused QC solutions.
Africa
Nigeria
Nigeria has the world’s largest sickle cell patient population. With the global approval of gene-editing therapies like CASGEVY®, attention is turning to Nigeria as a market for future access. The challenge is to translate breakthrough therapies into resource-limited health systems. For enabling technology providers, this signals urgent demand for simplified, portable, and low-cost platforms that could make advanced therapies deliverable at scale.
South Africa
South Africa has the continent’s strongest clinical trial infrastructure, with hubs in Johannesburg and Cape Town and facilities linked to Wits and Stellenbosch universities. Opportunities include viral vector analytics, workforce training platforms, and in-process QC tools for hematology and oncology trials.
Egypt
Egypt has invested in stem cell and gene therapy R&D with government support for ATMP clinical frameworks. Partnerships with European bodies are growing. Vendors in process development, QC, and modular cleanrooms can find early adoption pathways.
Europe
United Kingdom
The UK is leading with new frameworks for point-of-care and modular manufacturing. Compact cleanroom pods, digital QMS, and automation tools that integrate directly into hospitals are in high demand.
Ireland
Ireland is scaling through NIBRT’s new ATMP plant and public funding for newborn cell therapy. Vendors in robotics, analytics, and workforce training can connect directly into this ecosystem.
Germany
Germany’s Berlin and Munich clusters are central to European CGT manufacturing. Robotics-ready platforms, viral vector scale-out technologies, and MES solutions are priorities.
France
France is strengthening its hospital-linked GMP clusters in Paris and Lyon. Vendors with QC analytics and compact processing hardware will find strong pull-through here.
Spain
Catalonia and Andalusia are expanding infrastructure and clinical trial capacity. This is creating demand for comparability analytics, digital QC, and trial-ready processing platforms.
Sweden
Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet and Testa Center are key innovation hubs. The country is a launchpad for automation and closed-system process technologies.
Norway
The Oslo Cancer Cluster is becoming a trial hub for CGT. Vendors supporting trial logistics, cold-chain integration, and biobank systems will find an active customer base.
Denmark
Copenhagen’s life science cluster is investing heavily in ATMP readiness. Robotics, automation, and advanced process control tools are a natural fit.
Italy
Italy’s CGT activity is clustered in Milan and Naples. Consortia-driven programs need potency assays, QC analytics, and hospital-integrated manufacturing solutions.
Austria
Austria’s Vienna ecosystem is entering the ATMP race. Modular suites, electronic batch records, and advanced analytics platforms can accelerate uptake.
The Americas
Brazil
Brazil’s CGT field is growing under evolving ANVISA regulation but remains cost-constrained. Vendors who can deliver closed automation and in-process analytics that reduce cost of goods will resonate.
United States
The US remains the global leader with continued ATMP approvals, including pz-cel for RDEB. Scale-up and scale-out platforms, potency assays, and chain-of-identity systems are now essential infrastructure.
Canada
Canada is combining OmniaBio and CCRM with federal investment in AI and robotics. This creates demand for automation, MES integration, and QC technologies that support advanced manufacturing.
Closing Reflections
Our world tour underscores that CGT is global, yet not uniform. Each region presents its own opportunities and challenges, and for tools and enabling technology providers the lesson is clear: align with local drivers, but keep a global perspective.
At Lonrú Consulting, we specialize in helping enabling technology companies identify and act on these opportunities. Our VantagePoint™ suite brings together market intelligence, validation frameworks, and positioning strategies to ensure technologies not only launch but scale successfully in the dynamic CGT landscape.
