Merck and BIOON (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. Collaborate to Launch a Biotech Talent Development and Training Platform

SHANGHAI, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading global science and technology company, today announced a partnership with Biotech Valley (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. ("Biotech Valley") to jointly build a life science technology talent training platform, aimed at cultivating talent for China's biopharmaceutical industry. The Biotechnology Innovation Committee of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment ("BIC") has provided strong support for this collaboration.

Front row, from left to right: Xu Zhiyong, President, Biotech Valley (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.; Marc Jaffré, Managing Director, Merck Life Science China. Back row, from left to right: Zheng Junwei, Vice President, China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, and Chairman, Biotechnology Innovation Committee, China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment; Ian Carmichael, Vice President, Bioprocessing, Merck Life Science China.

From left to right: Zheng Junwei, Vice President of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Chairman of the Biotechnology Innovation Committee of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment; Xu Zhiyong, President of Biotech Valley (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.; Marc Jaffré, Managing Director of Merck Life Science China; and Ian Carmichael, Vice President of Bioprocess, Merck Life Science China.

Ma Jinrui, Managing Director of Merck Life Science China, stated: “Under the guidance of China’s ‘14th Five-Year Plan’ (2021-2025) and the 《“Healthy China 2030” Planning Outline》, China, as the world’s second-largest biopharmaceutical market, is intensifying efforts to cultivate technical talent and enhance professional expertise.” Ma continued: “We are fortunate to collaborate with local industry experts,Through our global R&D platform"Providing technical expertise and training programs to cultivate life science talent. This is a crucial step in accelerating the development of the life science ecosystem both in China and globally."

With strong support from the Life Sciences Innovation Committee, Merck and Biotech Valley are committed to jointly establishing a professional life sciences talent training platform across the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the Chengdu-Chongqing area. This initiative aims to supply outstanding talent for the development of the biotechnology industry in China and globally, while collaboratively building a world-class life sciences R&D system to enhance China’s capabilities in biotech innovation and industrial R&D. By leveraging their respective industrial chain resources, all parties will attract global biotech innovation resources to achieve high-quality clustered development.

The content, services, and digital platform provided by this training program can empower professionals at various career stages by equipping them with advanced laboratory materials, cutting-edge technologies and services, as well as knowledge of regulatory policies and quality management, thereby making research and biotechnology production simpler, faster, and safer.

Zheng Junwei, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Chairman of the Life Science Innovation Committee, stated: "Merck is our first global partner in the life sciences industry. We hope to collaborate with Merck to leverage its global network and local expertise in cultivating more experienced professionals for the biopharmaceutical industry, thereby driving innovative development and achieving the objectives of the 'Healthy China 2030' Planning Outline."

This project represents a further collaboration between Merck, Biotech Valley, and the Bio-Innovation Committee. Prior to this, the three parties had already signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in July 2020. At that time, Merck established its largest global Merck Life Science China Technology and Training Collaboration Center (M Lab™CollaborationCenter), through its close connection with a robust global network of experts, provides comprehensive training programs and expertise to advance the research, development, and manufacturing of next-generation drugs and therapies. The Merck Life Science China Technology & Training Collaboration Center delivers customized solutions and services to customers and partners, aiming to help biopharmaceutical companies optimize relevant processes from drug R&D to manufacturing, thereby saving time and costs and accelerating time-to-market.

As a global leader, Merck Life Science provides a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for research laboratories, as well as the biopharmaceutical and industrial sectors. The business offers over 300,000 products for scientific discovery, biomanufacturing, and testing services, alongside an industry-leading e-commerce platform. It employs more than 23,000 people worldwide and operates 59 production sites. In China, it has over 1,300 employees working across departments including research, process and application solutions, integrated supply chain operations, and quality and regulatory management.

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# About Merck

Merck is a globally leading science and technology company specializing in healthcare, life science, and electronics. With approximately 58,000 employees worldwide, Merck makes a positive impact on the lives of millions by creating a more joyful and sustainable lifestyle. From advanced gene-editing technologies and the discovery of unique approaches to treating challenging diseases, to enabling the intelligence of devices – Merck is everywhere. In 2020, Merck achieved total sales of €17.5 billion across 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and a responsible corporate ethos have always been the key to Merck’s scientific progress, as well as the secret to its enduring vitality since 1668. As the founders of the company, the Merck family still holds the majority of its shares today. We are known as “Merck” globally, with the exception of the United States and Canada. In these two countries, Merck’s three business sectors—Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics—are known as “EMD Serono,” “MilliporeSigma,” and “EMD Electronics,” respectively. Merck has 88 years of development history in China, currently employs over 4,200 people, and operates 20 registered companies across Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Nantong.

About Biotech Valley

Biotech Valley (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. was registered and established in Beijing in 2019. With the objective of promoting the high-quality development of China's bio-high-tech industry (including biopharmaceuticals, bio-environmental protection, bio-agriculture, bio-energy, bio-industry, etc.), the company is committed to building a comprehensive resource integration platform that integrates industrial innovation, industry services, financial capital, and international exchange and cooperation. Through innovations in development models and technologies, it drives the innovative development of China's biotechnology industry; through the optimization and integration of industrial resources, it fosters the integrated development of biotechnology with emerging high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence and big data, thereby expanding the application fields of biotechnology; and by strengthening international exchange and cooperation, it facilitates the promotion of the biotechnology industry in China and internationally.

In October 2019, the Company entered into a long-term strategic partnership with the Bio-Technology Innovation Committee of the Chinese Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (hereinafter referred to as the "BTIC"), and is responsible for the specific implementation and operation of the "International Biotech Valley" project initiated by the BTIC.