KAIST and Merck Sign Business Agreement to Lead the Bioindustry
KAIST (President Lee Kwang-hyung) announced on the 29th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global pharmaceutical company Merck Life Science (CEO Matthias Heinzel) to foster innovation and technology creation in the advanced bio sector.
On the afternoon of the 29th, KAIST signed a business agreement with Merck Life Sciences at its main campus in Daejeon to lead the global bioindustry. (From left) Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, and Matthias Heinzel, CEO of Merck. Photo by KAIST
View original imageBuilding on this MOU, KAIST plans to conduct joint research in various advanced bio fields such as synthetic biology, mRNA, cell line engineering, and organoids by utilizing the chemical and bio portfolios provided by Merck. In collaboration with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Medical Science at KAIST, an Experience Lab will be established to support candidate material discovery and analysis solutions in the fields of materials science and biology.
A scholarship program for graduate students will be implemented, and research field awards for faculty members will be established. Additionally, opportunities to participate in global academic events and educational programs hosted by Merck will be provided.
M Ventures, a venture capital company under the Merck Group, will collaborate with KAIST Startup Institute to promote technology commercialization and build a startup ecosystem.
CEO Matthias Heinzel stated, “This agreement with KAIST will be an important step in accelerating the development of the Korean and global life sciences industries,” and KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung expressed, “We hope this partnership will strengthen the link between Merck’s life sciences business and the global scientific community.”
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Merck, a global science and technology company with a history spanning over 350 years, announced in March that it will invest 430 billion KRW (300 million euros) to build a bioprocessing center in Daejeon, where KAIST is located. This is known as the largest investment Merck has made in the Asia-Pacific region.
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