Sartorius eyes long-term growth amid market fluctuationsSartorius eyes long-term growth amid market fluctuations

At the close of fiscal year 2024, Sartorius CEO Joachim Kreuzburg presented investors with a cautiously optimistic outlook despite a challenging market due to pandemic-related destocking, reluctance to invest, and a weak Chinese market. 

Sartorius reported €3.38 billion ($3.5 billion) in sales with a marginal increase of 1% year-on-year. The company’s Bioprocess Solutions division, which includes biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment and consumables, grew by 0.9%, driven by demand for advanced therapies. However, the Lab Products & Services division saw a 3% decline, primarily due to soft China demand. 

Sartorius’s C-suite debriefed investors at the changing market highlighting a shift toward normalization in the demand for consumables while equipment investments remained flat. The company approached normalcy on the consumable side, while equipment business lagged. 

“Clearly, we are approaching normalization on the consumable side,” Kreuzburg added. “But if they (customers) are not buying equipment, presumably, they haven’t yet reached normalized capacity utilization.” 

René Fáber, head of bioprocess solutions at Sartorius said that while bioprocessing equipment sales remained muted, the company continued to see above-average growth in advanced-therapy products.  

Cementing this claim, Sartorius CFO Florian Funck said, “Digging deeper into these roughly flat sales developments, we are seeing the expected picture of a consumable flat normalization.” He emphasized the importance of consumable products and their dominance in sustaining the company’s bottom line, noting that such business had shown mid–single-digit growth, contrasting equipment sales which had negative double-digit growth in 2024. 

He further noted that order intake trends strengthened momentum for the firm. “Order intake is double digits ahead of the prior year, looking at the [past] 12 months.” He added, “Consumables order intake is stronger than equipment, with improving dynamics over the year.” 

Despite cautious optimism, Sartorius executives maintained a positive outlook. Funck pointed to restructuring efforts in 2024 as positioning the company for sustainable growth.  

Looking ahead, Sartorius expects moderate sales growth in 2025, driven by continued improvements in demand. “We are well-positioned for long-term growth, and our focus remains on innovation and operational excellence,” Kreuzburg concluded.