New Merck Korea CEO seeks local collaborations

Home > Business > Industry

print dictionary print

New Merck Korea CEO seeks local collaborations

테스트

Michael Grund

The new chief of Merck Korea, the local affiliate of the German chemical and pharmaceutical giant, said he will pursue a “seamless collaboration” with Korean companies engaged in both biotechnology and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology.

“Our No. 1 priority is to link Korean activities into Merck’s global network and to provide best solutions to Korean clients,” Michael Grund, newly appointed president and managing director of Merck Korea, said in a press conference yesterday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul. “To make this happen, we will seek seamless collaboration with clients and closely work with them.”

Grund succeeded Juergen Koenig from July 1.

In the display market, Grund forecasts it will take a while before OLEDs fully replace LCDs and he predicted OLEDs will be used in many products other than television.

Grund suggested the material can be used as a solar energy charger for smartphones. He added that by modifying OLED materials, solar power generated from OLEDs can also be converted into electrical energy.

“Our researchers are currently testing various applications related to OLED and we’ll continue the research while monitoring the direction of our clients’ business plans.”

Grund, who has a degree in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany, joined Merck in 1997.

Before joining Merck Korea, he served as vice president in the PM-Advanced Technologies Development at Merck headquarters.

Market observers suggest Grund’s joining the Korean office will pave the way for the German company to seek more collaborations with Korean companies such as Samsung Display and LG Display given that he has a chemical engineering background.

Grund met Samsung Display CEO Kim Ki-nam last Wednesday.


BY KIM MI-JU [mijukim@joongang.co.kr]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)