Merck China and BGI Innovation Center Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Life Health Industry

SUZHOU, China, April 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --April 26,Merck (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and BGI Innovation Center of Science & Technology Co., Ltd. held a signing ceremony in Suzhou, officially announcing the execution of a strategic cooperation agreement. This milestone marks the parties’ commitment to exploring collaborative models in life health and related cross-industry sectors, jointly fostering technological innovation and accelerating development within the life health industry.

Merck China Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with BGI Innovation CenterIsabel De Paoli, Chief Strategy Officer of Merck; Sun Zhengjie, Vice President of Strategy and Transformation at Merck China and Head of the China Innovation Center; Liu Liang, CEO of BGI Innovation Center; Wang Jianrui, Director of the Global Clinical R&D Center for the Precision Medicine Alliance under BGI’s Domestic Regional Development Center; and heads of relevant departments from both sides attended the signing ceremony. Under the agreement, the two parties will become strategic partners, engaging in comprehensive cooperation in project innovation, incubation and acceleration, and investment within the life health sector and related cross-industry fields. By establishing a win-win mechanism, they aim to drive rapid development in life health and related areas.

Zhengjie Sun, Vice President of Strategy and Transformation at Merck China and Head of the Merck China Innovation Center, stated that the collaboration with the BGI Innovation Center holds significant importance for Merck China. As one of Merck’s most strategically important countries globally, China has become a key hub for the company’s worldwide innovation efforts. Established in February this year, the Merck China Innovation Center leverages China’s innovation ecosystem to integrate the unique technologies and expertise of the Group and its partners across respective fields, aiming to develop innovative technologies and drive business growth in China’s strategic markets. Aligned with Merck’s three core business sectors—Healthcare, Life Science, and Performance Materials—the Merck China Innovation Center identifies, incubates, and invests in innovation opportunities within existing domains as well as across business sectors, exploring new technologies and differentiated solutions beyond current business lines. Ms. Sun expressed her anticipation for future sparks of innovation arising from the collaboration between both parties in life science entrepreneurship and innovation.

Founded in 1668 and headquartered in Germany, Merck employs approximately 50,000 people worldwide. Dedicated to advancing technology and improving lives, the company focuses on three key sectors: Healthcare, Life Science, and Performance Materials. In 2017, Merck’s total sales across 66 countries reached €15.3 billion. Recently, Merck invested €170 million in its Healthcare and Life Science businesses in Nantong, €80 million in its Performance Materials business in Shanghai, and €35 million in additional initiatives. Merck has also established a Global Biopharma R&D Center in Beijing, along with a Performance Materials R&D Center and a Life Science Laboratory in Shanghai.

Liu Liang, CEO of BGI Innovation Center, pointed out that this collaboration represents a strong alliance between two industry leaders, which is not only beneficial to both parties but also holds significant importance for innovation-driven development in the life and health sector. Founded in 1999, BGI is a globally leading genomics research and development institution. By adopting an integrated innovation model combining industry, academia, and research, BGI has been at the forefront of advancing genomics. Through its global network of branches, BGI has established extensive collaborations across the industrial chain, applying cutting-edge multi-omics research achievements to fields such as medical healthcare, agricultural breeding, and resource conservation. This approach promotes the transformation of genetic science and technology into practical applications, ultimately realizing the vision of leveraging gene technology for the benefit of humanity.

In an era of rapid development in the genomics industry, BGI, as a pioneer in the field, is committed to providing an open platform for bioinformatics research and development, translation, and application. Together with innovative teams worldwide, BGI aims to decode the genome and jointly usher in a new era of life sciences. As the interface connecting BGI’s technology and data platforms with technological innovation and applications, the BGI Innovation Center fosters an innovation ecosystem for life and health through incubation and venture capital investment. In 2018, BGI launched the BGI Life Health Accelerator, targeting angel-stage startups or pre-funding entrepreneurial teams in the life and health sectors. After a selective screening process, each cohort provides 8–10 startups with funding, business and technical guidance, laboratory space, and equipment. Upon completion of the six-month program, the accelerator helps these startups establish partnerships with BGI or secure their next round of financing.