COVID-19 and the Biophotonics Industry

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the biophotonics industry can be viewed as an “essential worker.” Health care workers depend on biophotonics products to help identify and locate the coronavirus, as do the pharmaceutical companies that are rushing to develop and manufacture vaccines and cures. While the pandemic boosted sales of COVID-19–related biophotonic equipment, the crisis also interrupted the supply and demand for medical devices and services in general. In 2021, however, the sector—which sells to research institutes, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and food-safety and environmental laboratories—is recovering well.