The global market for veterinary diagnostics is growing steadily. In 2015, this was valued at about 4 billion US dollar. Analysts estimate that it will grow to 6 billion US dollar by 2021 at an annual rate of more than 8.5 percent. In addition, the industry is increasingly developing into a full-fledged 'sister market for human diagnostics', which is open to its own innovations.

However, certain barriers often hinder market entry: these include a lack of access to test materials, a lack of contact with laboratory and clinical users, ambiguities about regulatory conditions, and scarce financial resources, for example in the area of research and development (R&D), marketing and sales as well as lack of information on biomarkers and market trends.

The VetDx ZIM cooperation network, coordinated by DiagnostikNet-BB and supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), aims to exploit the potential of the veterinary diagnostics market and to help companies develop innovative diagnostics and to support the challenges involved.

The VetDx network is dedicated to initiating R&D projects, focusing on joint pattern biomarker development and the provision of new biomarker assays for veterinary use in research and clinics.