ScopeIndustry Report
Which Test Methods Are Impossible to Source Locally?
We inverted the usual ranking and identified every accredited capability in the ScopeMatch database held by 3 or fewer laboratories. These are the methods where sourcing is genuinely difficult, and where a single lab closure could leave an entire supply chain without accredited testing.
Key findings
50 methods held by just 1 lab in all of Europe. If that single laboratory loses accreditation, closes, or reaches capacity, there is no accredited alternative anywhere on the continent. The most extreme cases include "General Unknown"-Screening, "Hypermutationsstatus, "coryneforme" Stäbchenbakterien.
These numbers matter for anyone managing a testing supply chain. When accredited capacity is this thin, a single disruption - a lab audit failure, a staffing shortage, a natural disaster - can halt product certification across an entire industry.
Rare methods by category
| # | Test Method | Category | Where | Labs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
"General Unknown"-Screening
|
Chromatography (GC, HPLC) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 2 |
"Hypermutationsstatus
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 3 |
"coryneforme" Stäbchenbakterien
|
Food Safety Testing |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 4 |
# IP Equivalent ISO Standard
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 5 |
# ISO 3837
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 6 |
#ISO 2049
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 7 |
#ISO 2160
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 8 |
#ISO 2909
|
Lubricants / Oils |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 9 |
#ISO 3733
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 10 |
#ISO 4264
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 11 |
#ISO 5163
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 12 |
#ISO 6245
|
Fuel Testing |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 13 |
% (Hz) 0
|
Temperature / Pressure |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 14 |
% - Anteil Creatinkinase
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 15 |
%CD-Transferrin
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 16 |
%CDT
|
Spectroscopy (XRF, ICP, AAS) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 17 |
& 0414 – MS-CL based on BS EN
|
Climate / Temperature Cycling |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 18 |
& ASTM C535-2016
|
Temperature / Pressure |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 19 |
& Avidität
|
Immunology / Serology |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 20 |
& gutartige familiäre Chorea
|
Elemental Analysis |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 21 |
(*3C) und *3A
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 22 |
(-3α-Diol-G)
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 23 |
(1) TP/005 based on BS EN ISO
|
Elemental Analysis |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 24 |
(1,25-Dihydroxy-Cholecalciferol)
|
Spectroscopy (XRF, ICP, AAS) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 25 |
(10-Plex-MSD)
|
Spectroscopy (XRF, ICP, AAS) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 26 |
(13q14)/DSCR4 (21q22) Trisomie
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 27 |
(149, 174, 334, delta4E4)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 28 |
(14q32.2)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 29 |
(15q11)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 30 |
(15q11.2)/ PML (15q22-24)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 31 |
(17-OH-P)
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 32 |
(1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a,3b, 4a, 6a, 6b, 9a, 9b, 15a, 15b)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 33 |
(2-Punkt-Berührung)
|
Dimensional / Geometric |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 34 |
(229E, NL63, HKU1, 0C43], DNA, ADV DNA
|
Food Safety Testing |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 35 |
(22q11.2)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 36 |
(22q13) Deletion, Rearrangement, DiGeorge-Syndrom
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 37 |
(2XDC average)
|
Electrical |
GB
1
|
1 |
| 38 |
(3-Methoxytyramine, Metanephrin, Normetanephrin)
|
Chromatography (GC, HPLC) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 39 |
(3x)
|
Immunology / Serology |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 40 |
(4 in)
|
Dimensional / Geometric |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 41 |
(4 mA bis 20 mA)
|
Electrical |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 42 |
(4-Plex MSD)
|
Spectroscopy (XRF, ICP, AAS) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 43 |
(5,5-Diphenylhydantoin)
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 44 |
(5-Plex-MSD)
|
Spectroscopy (XRF, ICP, AAS) |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 45 |
(5p15.2) Deletion, Rearrangement, Cri-du-chat- Syndrom
|
Sterility Testing |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 46 |
(5p15.2-15.3) Deletion, Rearrangement, MDS, AML, MM
|
Sterility Testing |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 47 |
(5q33.1)/D5S1976 / D5S1518e
|
Sterility Testing |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 48 |
(6-Acetylmorphin, Codein, Diacetylmorphin, Dihydrocodein, Hydrocodon, Hydromorphon, Morphin, Morphin-3-glucuronid, Pholcodin, Thebain)
|
Clinical Chemistry |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 49 |
(60 kDa-Protein)
|
Immunology / Serology |
DE
1
|
1 |
| 50 |
(6p22.3)/LAMC3/NUP214(9q34.1)
|
Molecular Diagnostics / PCR |
DE
1
|
1 |
Methodology
This report identifies canonical test methods held by 3 or fewer distinct accredited laboratories across all six national accreditation bodies in the ScopeMatch database: DAkkS (Germany), UKAS (United Kingdom), COFRAC (France), RvA (Netherlands), ACCREDIA (Italy), and ENAC (Spain).
"Canonical test method" means the normalised capability after mapping national-language scope document entries (e.g. "DIN EN ISO 6892-1:2020-06") to a single identifier. A laboratory is counted once per method regardless of how many national variants it holds.
Methods are ranked rarest first - those held by only 1 lab appear at the top. Within the same lab count, methods are sorted alphabetically. All figures reflect the ScopeMatch database as of April 2026.
Need one of these rare capabilities?
Search our directory of 10,017 accredited laboratories to find the few labs that can help.
Search laboratories