Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp 2021 Opens Global Recruitment

Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp 2021 Officially Launches Global Project Recruitment.

Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp is seeking like-minded partners worldwide. If your research or entrepreneurial ventures are focused on cell culture and tissue engineering, we invite you to sign up for the Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp! The program will provide a comprehensive suite of innovation support resources, including expert networks, technical guidance, capital matchmaking, educational courses and events, and shared workspaces. We are committed to walking alongside participating projects, fostering mutual growth every step of the way. The Merck innovation ecosystem family looks forward to welcoming you!

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the regions with the strongest economic vitality and the highest level of openness in China. Supported by government policies and diverse resources, the Greater Bay Area has established a robust industrial foundation in fields such as biopharmaceuticals and healthcare. With an increasing influx of innovative resources and the growing availability of key innovation factors, the region has attracted a cluster of high-potential startups and top-tier professional talent, becoming fertile ground for the rapid growth of numerous innovative projects.

Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp is an innovation initiative hosted by the Merck Guangdong Innovation Center and co-organized by BlueRain Life Sciences Accelerator. Rooted in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) with a global outlook, the program aims to connect life sciences startups with Merck’s business resources in China and worldwide, identify collaboration opportunities, explore innovative models, and create greater value for the GBA’s innovation ecosystem.

Notably, the Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp has moved closer to the source of innovation, placing significant emphasis on innovative technologies and their commercialization from universities and research institutes. Research institutions are the backbone of technological innovation and play a vital role in the innovation ecosystem. Through this initiative, the Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp aims to strengthen scientific research collaboration among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, serving as a bridge between research institutions and industry to accelerate the translation of scientific achievements into practical applications.

Merck’s Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp has developed a series of customized courses and activities for participating projects, leveraging Merck’s own resource endowments to create an open and inclusive platform for exchange. While deepening their industry understanding and systematically learning entrepreneurial knowledge, participating projects will conduct on-site visits and engage in in-depth exchanges with leading enterprises, research institutes, and innovation parks in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby gaining firsthand experience of the region’s innovative atmosphere.

By joining the Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Training Camp, you will gain:

• End-to-end integration with Merck’s network to uncover collaboration opportunities

• Join the world’s most dynamic innovation ecosystem, collaborate with diverse partners, and meet industry needs across the entire lifecycle

• Join the Merck Global Startup Alumni Network to collaborate with like-minded alumni companies and expand your business

• In-depth one-on-one exchanges with Merck’s internal experts to support project growth

Efficient Capital Linkage

• Eligible for project funding of up to RMB 800,000 and additional investment opportunities

• Efficiently connect with professional frontline investment institutions

Customized Series of Entrepreneurship Courses and Activities

• Supported by Merck’s internal experts and external startup mentors, this program is tailored for startups in the life sciences sector, covering four general knowledge modules and specialized courses to provide systematic entrepreneurship training.

• Deeply engaged in diverse innovation activities, including proof-of-concept for innovative ideas, corporate visits, and team building

• Access the innovation spaces at Merck’s Guangdong Innovation Center and join the biomedical industry cluster on Guangzhou Bio Island

Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp is open to early- to growth-stage projects from universities, research institutes, and startups worldwide, with a particular focus on application areas and technological platforms related to cell culture and tissue engineering.

• Bioengineering & Bioprocessing: Cell Engineering, Cell Culture Media Development, Bioreactors, Real-Time Quality Control Monitoring, Microfluidic Chips, 3D Bioprinting, Scaffolds, etc.

• Genomics: single-cell sequencing, spatial omics, novel gene editing technologies, viral transduction, etc.

• AI/Digital Platforms: AI/digital-enabled solutions for cell culture in organoids/cultivated meat and other related applications; AI/digital-enabled solutions for cell culture, tissue engineering, etc.

• Cultured meat

• Organoids

• Regenerative Medicine

• Cell Culture & Tissue Engineering Applied to Life Health and Life Sciences

The Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Bootcamp will provide participating projects with customized courses and activities, including general education courses across four core modules, specialized professional training, proof-of-concept support for innovative ideas, corporate visits, and team-building exercises.

Startup Financing

• Startup 101

• Equity Financing Strategies for Startups

• Business Plan Writing

• Research and Analysis of Innovation-Oriented and Industry-Oriented Policies

Intellectual Property

• Patent Protection and Layout Strategy

• Common IP Legal Risks

• Freedom-to-Operate Analysis and Technology Mining

Product & Market

• Registration Application for Biopharmaceutical Products

• Product Development Process Management

• Biopharmaceutical Market Analysis and Investment Trends

Fiscal, Tax, and Legal Rights

• Corporate Tax and Financial Planning

• Equity Structure Design and Incentives

• Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Planning

Professional Courses

• Cell-Cultured Meat Special Topic

• Gene/Cell Therapy Process Discussion

• Customized Development of Cell Lines and Culture Media, and Their Downstream Applications

• Applications of Gene Editing Technology

• Exploring Spatial Omics Technologies

Proof of Concept for Innovative Ideas (PoC Workshop)

Application Period: May 17, 2021–July 5, 2021

Camp Period: August 28, 2021 – September 26, 2021

Camp Location: Key Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, etc.)

Apply Now: Register via the link below

Following the submission of project applications, experts from Merck China and its global network will conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on multiple criteria, including alignment with Merck’s strategic focus, technological foresight, team background, market potential, and development roadmap. Projects that pass the screening process will be admitted as official participants in the inaugural Merck Greater Bay Area Innovation Training Camp.

Consultation Email: GBAInnovationBootcamp@merckgroup.com

Learn more: innovationbootcamp.merckgroup.com

Merck China Innovation Center is a vital component of Merck’s global innovation network, dedicated to identifying, incubating, and investing in innovative opportunities within and across its core business areas—Healthcare, Life Science, Performance Materials—as well as beyond them. Rooted in China’s innovation ecosystem, the Merck China Innovation Center actively establishes partnerships with startups, academic institutions, industry partners, and local governments. By integrating Merck Group’s unique technologies and expertise with those of its partners in their respective fields, the Center develops innovative technologies to deliver new solutions for the Chinese market and Merck’s global operations. Simultaneously, it provides inspiration, cultivation, and incubation support for local innovative talent, partners, and Merck employees, fostering win-win collaboration.