U.K. lab market grows by nearly 5%

Despite severe economic pressures and government austerity measures, 12 of the leading environmental laboratories in the United Kingdom achieved revenue growth of 4.8% in the 2011-12 year, reaching a combined total of £148.3 million (about $224.4 million U.S.) in revenue, according to a recent report by the environmental market research and publishing firm Environment Analyst (London, U.K.). The public-sector laboratories, including those run by government agencies, account for three of the top four U.K. lab operations, but competition is poised for an increase as operators from the public and private sectors increasingly encroach on each other’s territory, the report says. Expanding European Union (EU) legislation is anticipated to help relieve some competitive pressure by adding to the available amount of work. By media, water and effluent testing accounted for the biggest share of the U.K. environmental testing market in 2011-12 at 34.8%, followed by marine sample testing (25.4%) and land/soil analysis (22.7%)