When people picture U.S. manufacturing, several flagship industries typically come to mind: automobile plants in Michigan, aerospace assemblies or semiconductor production. People rarely picture the factories that produce cancer tests and the instruments that run them, even though they represent a significant and growing manufacturing sector.
In vitro diagnostics, or IVDs, are non-imaging tests — ranging from routine blood work to advanced genetic testing done on blood or tissue samples — that provide the clear data doctors need to make critical treatment decisions for patients in hospitals and clinics. They function as the backbone of the healthcare system, informing an estimated 70% of all medical decisions. As IVDs have advanced (often through U.S. innovation), so too have the quality and outcomes the healthcare system can deliver.
A lot goes into bringing this sector to life. The diagnostics industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers, from the instrument and test manufacturers to the clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists who interpret the end results. Many of these are high-skill occupations. Importantly, the sector’s growth directly fuels advances and economic growth in other fields. Diagnostics are also critical for national security and power a growing export industry. While it’s not always visible, U.S. leadership in diagnostics delivers meaningful impact to healthcare both at home and abroad.
A case study in American manufacturing — and impact
The diagnostic industry’s economic footprint can be seen in communities across the country. Few examples illustrate this more clearly than the Greater Tucson region, where Roche Diagnostics operates one of the nation’s largest integrated diagnostics manufacturing and innovation hubs. Scientists, engineers, manufacturing technicians, software developers, quality specialists, logistics professionals, and supply chain experts all contribute to production, with backgrounds ranging from a high school diploma to advanced degrees.
For over four decades, diagnostics manufacturing and innovation have contributed to the growth of the Greater Tucson economy. In recent years, Roche Diagnostics has invested millions of dollars into its expansive campus to build on this commitment to the local economy and to meet the needs of patients globally. Between its Oro Valley and Marana facilities, Roche Diagnostics tests impact over 44 million people each year. These tests help answer critical health questions, such as whether a person has cancer and what treatments may be most effective — information that is vital for unlocking the full potential of modern medicine.
Economically, the benefits extend beyond the Tucson region. Roche Diagnostics sources materials from more than 400 different U.S.-based suppliers and exports many millions of finished tests. In 2025, the U.S. posted a $4.4 billion trade surplus in the category of “medical diagnostics chemicals and reagents” (the components of IVDs).
Diagnostics drive broader U.S. economic growth and innovation leadership
Tucson is not an isolated example. It underscores the broader role diagnostics manufacturing plays in the U.S. economy: creating skilled jobs, supporting domestic supply chains, generating exports, and providing the infrastructure that underpins America’s biotechnology and healthcare leadership. This sector also plays an integral role in many critical domestic priorities, such as national security, by rapidly detecting emerging infectious diseases, monitoring outbreaks and maintaining a safe blood supply.
Roche Diagnostics provides advanced diagnostic technologies used to screen a significant portion of donated blood in the U.S. for infectious diseases. This ensures safety before it reaches patients. Screening blood products is also an important pillar for maintaining military readiness, alongside the broader medical support that IVDs provide for service members deployed around the world.
In challenging times, Roche Diagnostics and healthcare professionals’ capacity to respond quickly to emerging infectious diseases also depends on a resilient diagnostics ecosystem. People need to continue to nurture advanced manufacturing capacity in the U.S., while remaining connected to trusted global supply chains that provide specialized components and expertise. This dual approach enhances the nation’s preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Diagnostics as strategic infrastructure
The U.S. has built an incredibly advanced diagnostics ecosystem, combining scientific discovery and innovation, domestic manufacturing and global distribution. That leadership has helped transform diseases once considered fatal into conditions that can be detected earlier, treated more precisely and managed more effectively. This matters not just for individuals and families with specific healthcare needs, but for the entire healthcare system. Diagnostics are there when people need them most.
It is clear that global demand for IVDs will continue to grow as populations age, more individuals live with chronic diseases and the healthcare experience becomes more personalized and sophisticated. When crises emerge, national security and preparedness rely on Roche Diagnostics’ ability to rapidly and accurately detect disease. This is what makes diagnostics, developed and manufactured in the U.S., such a powerful American manufacturing success story.