Merck KGaA inaugurated its GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center in Shenzhen's Nanshan on Monday, marking the German pharmaceutical and technology giant's latest and most technology-focused addition to its China footprint.
The 2,500-square-meter facility is a joint project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shenzhen municipal government. According to Merck, it will contribute global technological resources, equipment and lab supplies to help local firms strengthen their R&D capabilities and align with international standards.
"The question was not whether or not we were to come to Shenzhen. The question was when," Rogier Janssens, president of Merck China, told Shenzhen Daily in an exclusive interview Monday. "Shenzhen is really the capital of science and technology, so we need to be here."
Executives, guests and staff members pose for a photo during the unveiling ceremony for Merck's GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center in Nanshan District on Monday.
Unlike Merck's Beijing center, which focuses on clinical science and trials, and its Shanghai hub, which emphasizes drug development, the Shenzhen site will prioritize science and technology — leveraging the southern Chinese tech hub's strength as a global hardware and innovation powerhouse.
Janssens, who led Merck's healthcare business in China from 2017 to 2022, returned to the Asian country earlier this year. He said the most striking change he has observed is China's rapid development and a newfound openness to collaboration among universities, companies, and government entities.
"I would have never imagined that a country can develop and change so rapidly," he said. "We are much more open to partnership and collaboration."
Rogier Janssens (R) and a guest applaud the inauguration of Merck's GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center during a ceremony in Nanshan on Monday.
Betting on innovation
When asked to prioritize Merck's goals for China over the coming decade, Janssens placed innovation at the forefront, followed by manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
"Innovation will probably drive the health of ourselves, our children, and many more generations to come," he said. "If we nail innovation and manufacturing resilience, then sustainable growth will be a logical result."
The Shenzhen center will help local biotech startups cross the so-called "Valley of Death"—the difficult transition from research to commercial production — particularly in fertility, oncology and rare diseases, areas where Merck has deep expertise.
"Drug research is not something which is about logic," Janssens said. "It is sometimes also a lottery."
He said that only about 10% of products that move from preclinical to clinical phases end up being commercialized as medicines.
An automated assay workstation, which automates routine laboratory experiments previously performed manually, is displayed at the newly inaugurated innovation and collaboration center.
'A beautiful marriage'
Merck has a history of 357 years, while Shenzhen, at just 47, has undergone a breathtaking transformation from a quiet fishing village into a global tech powerhouse.
"Ideally, I would like to see a beautiful marriage between that 357-year-old historical company and this beautiful, newly built city," Janssens said.
Merck China President Rogier Janssens (C) tours laboratory facilities at the newly inaugurated GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center in Nanshan.
The center will also help local companies navigate global supply chain disruptions, a growing concern for multinationals.
"The world is not becoming simpler. I think the world is becoming a bit more complex," Janssens said. "That's why partnerships and collaboration are becoming a very important part of how we need to move things forward."
Merck has invested nearly 7 billion yuan (US$1.03 billion) in China over the past decade, according to company statistics. The company, which operates across healthcare, life sciences and electronics, reported net sales of €21.1 billion (US$24.5 billion) in 2025.
