Merck Life Science Korea announced on the 21st that it held the “Merck-KAIST Workshop” in Boston, USA, for two days from July 17th to 18th in collaboration with KAIST.

The workshop marked the first anniversary of the strategic partnership signed between Merck Life Science and KAIST in May last year, and served as a venue to share achievements and discuss future directions for joint research and collaboration.

At the workshop, Merck highlighted several key accomplishments from the past year, including: ▲ the establishment of a new model for academia-industry collaboration; ▲ practical research to address real-world industrial challenges; and ▲ contribution to the life science R&D ecosystem and talent pipeline in Korea and Daejeon City.

In addition, the two sides discussed innovative strategies for AI-based new material development and lab automation, exchanged in-depth opinions on leading-edge technology development, and explored future directions for cooperation at the event.

The first day of the workshop began with the 2026 Merck Research Challenges session, where Merck introduced key themes, strategic directions, and participation opportunities for its ongoing collaborative research initiatives.

Participants then visited the Merck M Lab in Burlington, followed by a Steering Committee meeting to review the progress of key activities, including ongoing research projects within the scope of the partnership, and to discuss outcomes and future directions.

The second day featured an Open Innovation Exchange session and the Merck Fellow Award ceremony.

The award ceremony was held for the first time this year, and three KAIST professors were selected as recipients based on criteria such as the alignment with Merck's innovation strategy and research, technical excellence, and the commercialization potential of their research.

Karen Madden, Chief Technology Officer of Merck Life Science, stated, “The strategic partnership between Merck Life Science and KAIST has evolved beyond collaborative research, developing into a global model of academia-industry cooperation in areas such as R&D and talent cultivation. Through this workshop, we hope to further deepen the partnership between the two institutions and create more tangible research and innovative collaboration outcomes.”

Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, remarked, “KAIST is expanding its unique scientific and technological capabilities globally through its partnership with Merck Life Science, a leading global science and technology company. We look forward to meaningful research outcomes in the field of life sciences through various research collaborations and talent exchanges in the future.”

Meanwhile, Merck Life Science and KAIST have been generating diverse collaborative outcomes across life sciences and materials science since signing a memorandum of understanding in May 2024.

They are actively conducting joint research to address industrial challenges across a wide range of innovation fields, including next-generation life sciences, new modalities, AI and digital technologies, sustainability, and future-oriented laboratories and facilities.