Advancements of 3D Bioprinting : A market development study

Sammanfattning: In most cases new technology emergence does not guarantee overnight success nor is it developed overnight, rather it is a result of industry expertise spanning over several fields of research. 3D bioprinting is an industry that promises revolutionary implications for healthcare and scholars are discussing application areas such as tissue for oncology research, tissue for patient specific drug development and lastly complex organs for implantation. The promises and strides of the industry pose new prospects in healthcare, for instance printing new skin for burn victims & drug development all while being patient specific. The promises of bioprinting are practices that will lead to improved quality of life whether it be in the form of medicine or a new organ. The industry is characterized by fast pace and rapid technological advancements, research has explored these technological advancements and explained them in detail, but information on the market remains scarce. To contribute to filling this gap the thesis explores what the state of the market currently is and what the stage of market development is.  In order to explore how the market has developed and the current state of it a longitudinal case study, in Sweden which is one of the most innovative countries in the world was conducted. Newspaper articles from three news outlets were collected, two of which are Swedens most reputable publishers regarding new technology and business and economic development, the third is an industry specific outlet to biotechnology advancement. This resulted in finding that while the dialog of bioprinting is promising, the degree of readiness remains the same, furthermore it shows that the industry is heavily dependent on external actors to further develop the market and technology. It was also found that there is no shortage in actors spanning across various industries that collaborate with bioprinting firms since not all industries need the full capacity of the technology that is necessary to print complex organ structures. It can be stated that while the bioprinting market is evolving the development of it is in early stages and is far from being established.