Who We Are

We are Merck, a vibrant science and technology company. Science is at the heart of everything we do. It drives the discoveries we make and the technologies we create.

We are Merck

Our pursuit is progress for people everywhere. That’s why we take a closer look at things, ask questions and think ahead.

We’ve been around for more than 350 years, yet our majority owners are still the descendants of Friedrich Jacob Merck, the man who founded our company in Darmstadt, Germany in 1668.

Since then, we have become a truly global company, with around 52,000 employees in 66 countries working on breakthrough solutions and technologies. In 2018, we invested a total of € 2.2 billion in research and development.

We are Merck. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada. Here we operate as EMD Serono in the Biopharma business, as MilliporeSigma in the Life Science business, and as EMD Performance Materials in the materials business.

We are experts

Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials are our core businesses. In all three sectors, we offer specialized and high-quality products

Healthcare: We help improve and prolong life

From prescription medicines to treat conditions such as cancer and infertility, our goal is to make a difference to millions of lives.

Life Science: Our research helps researchers

In our Life Science business we collaborate with the global scientific community to solve the industry’s toughest problems. We provide scientists with lab materials, technologies and services to make research and biotech production simpler, faster and safer.

Performance Materials: We create brilliant perspectives and crystal clear images

In our Performance Materials business we develop specialty chemicals for demanding applications, from liquid crystals and OLED materials for displays and lighting to effect pigments for coatings and cosmetics through to high-tech materials for the electronics industry.

Curious – Future Insight

This overarching innovation initiative creates opportunities to network and to deep-dive into science and technology topics for a bright future. Curious2020 – Future Insight Conference in July. Future Insight Prize, a prize of up to 1,000,000 Euro per year for groundbreaking advancements. Innovation Cup, a Summer Camp for academic talents from various disciplines.