Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast Segmented By Technology (Radiography Testing Equipment, Ultrasonic Testing Equipment, Magnetic Particle Testing Equipment, Liquid Penetrant Testing Equipment, Visual Inspection Equipment, Eddy Current Equipment), By End User Industry (Oil & Gas, Power & Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Transportation, Construction), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 5.98 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	8.09%
Fastest Growing Segment	Power and Energy
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 9.54 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market will grow from USD 5.98 Billion in 2025 to USD 9.54 Billion by 2031 at a 8.09% CAGR. The Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market consists of hardware and analytical systems designed to examine the condition of materials, components, and structures without altering their physical state or integrity. The primary drivers supporting market growth include the escalating requirement to extend the operational life of aging industrial and public infrastructure alongside rigorous government regulations ensuring safety in the aerospace, power generation, and energy sectors. This urgent demand for structural assurance is quantified by the funding deficits in critical sectors; according to the 'American Society of Civil Engineers', in '2025', 'the United States infrastructure investment gap is projected to total $3.7 trillion between 2024 and 2033', a disparity that necessitates extensive inspection to ensure the continued safety of existing assets.

A significant challenge impeding market expansion is the critical shortage of qualified technicians and certified operators required to manage complex inspection activities. This workforce deficit creates operational bottlenecks and limits the capacity of service providers to scale effectively, thereby preventing the market from reaching its full potential despite the rising volume of testing requirements globally.

Key Market Drivers

The integration of Artificial Intelligence and IoT in inspection technologies represents a primary catalyst for market advancement by transitioning industrial operations from reactive detection to predictive asset management. Manufacturers increasingly embed machine learning algorithms directly into ultrasonic and eddy current devices to automate defect recognition, which reduces human error and accelerates data processing times for critical components. This shift toward intelligent systems is evidenced by rapid industrial adoption rates as companies seek to optimize production efficiency. According to Rockwell Automation, March 2024, in the '9th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report', 83% of manufacturers expect to use generative AI in their operations in 2024. Such adoption compels equipment vendors to develop software-centric analytical tools that interface seamlessly with connected factory environments, thereby increasing the value proposition of modern non-destructive testing units.

Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of the aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors drives substantial demand for advanced equipment capable of validating complex composite materials and additive manufacturing parts. As production rates climb to meet travel demand, airframe manufacturers require high-throughput inspection systems that ensure structural integrity without delaying assembly lines. According to Boeing, July 2024, in the 'Commercial Market Outlook 2024-2043', the aviation industry projects a demand for nearly 44,000 new commercial airplanes through 2043. This surge in production volume directly correlates with increased procurement of radiographic and ultrasonic testing arrays to verify airworthiness. Furthermore, the broader scope of safety enforcement supports sustained market activity across energy sectors as well. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2024, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration awarded $64.4 million in grants to support state pipeline safety programs. These investments underscore the critical role of inspection technologies in maintaining industrial compliance and safety standards.

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Key Market Challenges

The critical shortage of qualified technicians and certified operators acts as a severe constraint on the Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market. This labor deficit directly hampers growth because the demand for inspection hardware is inextricably linked to the availability of skilled personnel capable of operating these systems. When service providers and industrial firms cannot hire sufficient staff to perform testing, their procurement of new inspection technologies stagnates, regardless of the rising volume of testing requirements. Consequently, the market encounters a bottleneck where human capital is insufficient to execute necessary work, leading to deferred equipment purchases and reduced revenue realization for manufacturers.

This workforce gap is substantial and projected to persist, creating long-term impediments to industry scaling. According to the 'National Association of Manufacturers', in '2024', 'more than 1.9 million manufacturing and industrial jobs could remain unfilled by 2033 due to the widening skills gap'. This shortage is particularly acute in specialized technical roles required for non-destructive testing. Without a sufficient pipeline of certified operators to deploy diagnostic tools, the market cannot effectively meet safety mandates or infrastructure targets, preventing the industry from reaching its full economic potential despite the favorable demand landscape.

Key Market Trends

The Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Drones is fundamentally reshaping the inspection landscape by enabling safe access to hazardous, confined, or elevated assets without requiring scaffolding or rope access. This trend is driven by the integration of versatile payloads, such as LiDAR and ultrasonic thickness gauges, which allow aerial systems to perform complex non-destructive testing tasks rather than simple visual monitoring. By deploying collision-tolerant drones into boilers, stacks, and storage tanks, asset owners can dramatically reduce downtime and eliminate human exposure to dangerous environments. The efficiency gains from this technology are substantial; according to Flyability, March 2024, in a press release announcing the 'Elios 3 UT Payload', the company stated that its new drone-based ultrasonic thickness solution allows inspection teams to capture data ten times faster than traditional manual methods, reducing overall costs by up to 90%.

Simultaneously, the Deployment of Automated Robotic Inspection Systems is gaining traction for the assessment of large-scale critical infrastructure, particularly in the maritime and energy sectors. Unlike aerial systems, these magnetic crawling robots are designed to traverse vertical ferrous surfaces, such as ship hulls and storage tanks, to conduct high-density grid scanning that manual technicians cannot match in speed or coverage. These systems provide a comprehensive structural health baseline by collecting millions of data points, ensuring that maintenance decisions are based on complete asset conditions rather than sparse spot checks. The rapid industrial acceptance of this technology is evident in the defense sector; according to Gecko Robotics, September 2024, in a press release regarding its partnership with the U.S. Navy, the company reported a 400% increase in the utilization of its robotic scanning solutions on surface ships in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Segmental Insights

The Power and Energy segment represents the fastest-growing category in the Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market, driven by the dual demands of renewable energy expansion and aging infrastructure management. As nations transition to sustainable power, wind turbines and solar facilities require frequent structural monitoring to detect fatigue and ensure reliability. Concurrently, conventional nuclear and thermal plants face strict life-extension mandates to prevent catastrophic failures. Organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency enforce rigorous safety standards, compelling operators to adopt comprehensive inspection solutions that guarantee compliance and operational continuity.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market, driven largely by the robust aerospace and defense sectors in the United States. This dominance is supported by the extensive presence of aging infrastructure in the oil and gas industry, which requires frequent monitoring to prevent structural failures. Furthermore, stringent safety standards enforced by regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration mandate regular testing. These strict compliance requirements ensure the continuous adoption of inspection technologies, solidifying the region's status as the primary market revenue generator.

Recent Developments

• In June 2025, Eddyfi Technologies announced the commercial launch of Cypher, a powerful new portable ultrasonic inspection platform designed to improve efficiency for field inspectors. This instrument was developed to provide faster data acquisition and clearer imaging capabilities, ensuring high confidence in asset integrity assessments. The release of this platform marked a strategic expansion of the company's non-destructive testing portfolio, focusing on intuitive design and rugged durability suitable for harsh industrial environments. By integrating advanced ultrasonic testing features, the device aims to set a new benchmark for performance in detecting flaws within critical components and structures.
• In May 2025, Waygate Technologies, a business of Baker Hughes, launched the Phoenix Nanotom HR, a new high-resolution nano-computed tomography system. This advanced equipment was introduced to address the rigorous inspection demands of the electronics, battery, and materials science sectors. Engineered in collaboration with Excillum, the system utilizes a specialized nanofocus X-ray source capable of detecting geometric details down to approximately 50 nanometers. This product launch represented a major technological step forward, offering significantly improved resolution and faster scanning times, which are essential for precise quality assurance and research applications in both laboratory and production settings.
• In January 2025, Wabtec Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Inspection Technologies division of Evident, a prominent provider of non-destructive testing solutions formerly associated with Olympus Corporation. This strategic acquisition, valued at approximately $1.78 billion, was undertaken to expand Wabtec’s digital intelligence portfolio and accelerate its growth in critical industrial markets. The addition of this division was expected to double the company's total addressable market by integrating established technologies used for evaluating asset integrity. This move underscored a significant consolidation in the industry, aiming to enhance safety and reliability standards across global infrastructure and supply chains.
• In December 2024, NDT Global officially launched a 56-inch ultrasonic in-line inspection tool, developed through a strategic collaboration with Aramco. This breakthrough technology was engineered to meet the specific inspection challenges of large-diameter pipelines, offering a superior alternative to traditional magnetic flux leakage methods. The tool enables operators to navigate complex pipeline networks while providing high-accuracy detection and sizing of cracks and metal loss anomalies. This partnership highlighted a significant commitment to advancing pipeline safety, allowing energy operators to leverage precise ultrasonic data for better risk management and long-term asset health maintenance.

Key Market Players

• General Electric Company
• Olympus Corporation
• MISTRAS Group, Inc.
• Zetec, Inc.
• Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
• YXLON International GmbH
• Nikon Metrology NV
• Applied Technical Services, Inc.

By Technology	By End User Industry	By Region
Radiography Testing Equipment Ultrasonic Testing Equipment Magnetic Particle Testing Equipment Liquid Penetrant Testing Equipment Visual Inspection Equipment Eddy Current Equipment	Oil & Gas Power & Energy Aerospace & Defense Automotive & Transportation Construction	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market, By Technology:

• Radiography Testing Equipment
• Ultrasonic Testing Equipment
• Magnetic Particle Testing Equipment
• Liquid Penetrant Testing Equipment
• Visual Inspection Equipment
• Eddy Current Equipment

• Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market, By End User Industry:

• Oil & Gas
• Power & Energy
• Aerospace & Defense
• Automotive & Transportation
• Construction

• Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE