Merck and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance South Korea’s R&D ecosystem for industrial applications. Merck will supply chemical and biological products to KAIST researchers, provide development opportunities such as participation in international programs such as the Innovation Cup, the Curious Future Insight Conference, fellowships for graduate students and awards for professors, and establish an experience lab to develop new scientific workflows in material analysis, drug discovery and omics solutions.
The partnership includes a joint R&D collaboration to drive innovation, with Merck’s corporate venture fund M Ventures working with the KAIST entrepreneurial team to build a startup ecosystem. With a 30-year presence in Korea, Merck recently announced a €300 million investment in a new bioprocessing facility in Daejeon, underscoring its commitment to the region’s biopharmaceutical industry.
Picture: (left to right) Professor Kwang-Hyung Lee (KAIST President) and Dr. Matthias Heinzel (CEO of the Life Science business at Merck)
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
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Merck’s Innovation Cup: Innovation boot camp with outstanding international Ph.D. students
