Shanghai, November 6, 2020-Merck, the world's leading technology company, recently announced that it will invest in China to build its latest comprehensive electronic technology center with the widest product coverage, further strategically deploying electronic materials and investing in the Chinese market. During the third CIIE in 2020, Merck Group and representatives of the Shanghai Pudong New Area government formally signed a relevant memorandum agreement on the high-tech investment project.
The "Merck Electronic Technology China Center" will be located at the Merck Jinqiao Base in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, covering an area of approximately 3,300 square meters. It will mainly be used for the analysis, testing and sampling of various electronic materials. The center is expected to be completed and put into use in the first half of 2022, with an investment of 18 million euros (about 140 million yuan). After the completion of the center, Merck will be able to provide Chinese local customers and partners with comprehensive technical services and customized material solutions to help Chinese companies innovate in the electronics market and empower China's electronic information industry.
"From laptops to smartphones, from LCD TVs to various wearable smart devices, China is now not only the world's largest consumer electronics producer, but also the largest consumer market," Merck Executive Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of High Performance Materials Official Kai Beckmann said. "As the new crown epidemic has triggered a new wave of digitalization worldwide, and China has increased the construction of digital technology facilities, we will usher in the explosive growth of data and the further rapid integration of the electronics industry. The Chinese market is at the forefront of the wave. We believe that Merck will further increase investment in the Chinese market and it will be a wise choice to deploy a new generation of electronic technology in the future. We also hope to actively participate in and integrate into China's future digital economy and innovation ecology, especially through material innovation to help 5G The development and application of a number of emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the Internet of Things."
China is currently increasing its investment in the field of semiconductor chip manufacturing, and semiconductor chip consumption in the Chinese market has accounted for half of the global market. "Our new Merck Electronics China Center will focus on the semiconductor field," said Allan Gabor, President of Merck China and Managing Director of High Performance Materials China. "We believe that China's semiconductor industry is ushering in a golden opportunity period and there is a lot to do." Semiconductor materials has become one of Merck's fastest growing businesses in China. Merck currently supplies more than 150 types of material products to more than 100 chip manufacturing companies across the country, covering every aspect of its wafer processing technology.
The newly-built Merck Electronic Technology China Center in Shanghai will also focus on organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), an emerging display material, with a focus on enhancing Merck's OLED analysis capabilities. OLED is a new type of self-luminous semiconductor display technology that can not only achieve ultra-thin and more flexible displays, but also enable the display to have sophisticated and diverse man-machine functions through the convenient integration of various sensors. It represents the future of display technology. An important direction. Merck is currently building local capabilities covering the complete value chain of OLED materials in Shanghai-from material analysis and application testing to local production. Merck has completed the expansion of its OLED material application laboratory in Shanghai this year and announced the opening of its first OLED material production base in China. "Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta are among the most open and innovative regions in China. We will actively build OLED material R&D and production bases in Shanghai, and work with local customers and partners to jointly promote and accelerate technological innovation in China's OLED industry. And develop and grow,” said Allan Gabor.
In recent years, the high-performance materials business unit of the Merck Group is accelerating business transformation and focusing on the electronics field. Especially through last year's acquisition of Wisdom Materials and Intermolecular, Merck now has the most complete semiconductor material product line in the industry and is committed to becoming a global leader in electronic materials and technology. As early as more than 100 years ago, Merck has begun to develop and produce electronic materials, and the research on its liquid crystal materials began in 1904. Today, Merck provides a wide range of innovative semiconductors and display materials to inject a steady stream of impetus into the next generation of electronic technology and to promote the vigorous development of the digital world.
About Merck
Merck is a leading technology company focusing on the three major fields of medicine and health, life sciences and high-performance materials. More than 57,000 employees around the world serve Merck and have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people by creating a more pleasant and sustainable lifestyle. From advanced gene editing technology and discovering unique methods to treat the most challenging diseases, to achieving intelligent equipment-Merck is everywhere. In 2019, Merck's total sales in 66 countries reached 16.2 billion euros.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have always been the key to Merck's scientific and technological progress, as well as the secret of Merck's vitality since 1668. As the founders of the company, the Merck family still holds most of Merck's shares. We are called "Merck" worldwide, except for the United States and Canada. Merck's three major areas: medical health, life sciences and high-performance materials are called "EMD Serono", "MilliporeSigma" and "EMD Performance Materials" in these two countries. Merck has a history of more than 80 years of development in China, currently has more than 4,200 employees, and has more than 20 registered companies in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Wuxi, Suzhou and Nantong.