Merck Presents First Curiosity Report in the U.S. to Help Drive Innovation
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today presented the first "State of Curiosity" report in the U.S and aims to spur a conversation about curiosity and innovation in the market where it makes almost a fifth of revenue and is set to expand further.
Nearly nine out of 10 American workers believe that curious people are more likely to bring ideas to life at work, while only about one-fifth describe themselves as curious in the workplace, according to an online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adult workers sponsored by Merck and conducted this summer by Harris Poll. Those who do describe themselves as curious place a greater emphasis on the value of new ideas saying they would rather be known for always trying new ideas than for relying on widely accepted practices.
"A culture of asking questions - the really big ones and the seemingly small, incremental ones - is critical for innovation," said Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman and CEO of the Executive Board of Merck when presenting the results to scientists, politicians and partners at the Museum of Natural History in New York. "By encouraging the pursuit of the great questions in science and technology, we hope to accelerate the breakthroughs of tomorrow."
Merck over the past years has built up its presence in the U.S., with North American sales amounting to around 2.2 billion last year, almost a fifth of the Group's net sales. With the pending Sigma-Aldrich merger, Merck has the potential to double its footprint in the U.S. The company on Tuesday announced it had reached an agreement to fulfil commitments made to win antitrust clearance in Europe in order to complete the $17 billion transaction.
For Merck, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary in the U.S. this year, the country presents a growth platform for its three business sectors - healthcare, life science and performance materials. With the acquisition of AZ Electronic Materials last year, Merck has doubled its Performance Materials presence in the U.S. and added some of the major U.S. semiconductor players to its mainly Asian customer base. In November 2014, Merck formed a global strategic alliance with Pfizer to jointly develop and commercialize avelumab, an investigational anti-PD-L1 antibody, to accelerate the development of immuno-oncology medicines for patients with multiple types of cancer.
With its State of Curiosity report, Merck aims to explore how curiosity is generated and whether it can be taught. Based on the research across 16 industries, the company aims to take a closer look at the relationship to innovation, discovery and generating new ideas. The results can then provide the basis for a roadmap to help foster a culture of curiosity. As a first step, Merck is launching #QuestionTogether, a call-to-action inviting Americans to join the conversation about curiosity and ask the biggest science and technology questions of today. This can be done in two ways: by posting a question online at www.sciamquestiontogether.com, or on Twitter with the hashtag #QuestionTogether. Editors from Scientific American magazine, in partnership with the company, will research and report on th e top questions shared, and the results will appear online at www.125YearsSmarterTogether.com. The site also features a film designed to spark a discussion about the important role curiosity plays in advancing science and technology, and interviews with current and next-generation innovators.
"Curiosity is an essential part of who we are. We believe we are smarter together when we question together," Kley said. "This curiosity has driven Merck's nearly 350 years of breakthrough in wide-ranging fields. We have built strong partnerships and created thousands of jobs in this country. We are here to stay - and look forward to another 125 years of American curiosity and ingenuity."
The company whose roots date back to 1668 established its U.S. business in 1890 and today operates as EMD Serono, EMD Millipore and EMD Performance Materials in the U.S. In the rest of the world, the Darmstadt, Germany-based company last week pledged to abolish its business-related brands Merck Millipore and Merck Serono in order to strengthen the Merck brand globally.
To learn more about the "Smarter Together" campaign, and how the power of curiosity has driven scientific discovery visit www.125YearsSmarterTogether.com.About the Survey
The State of Curiosity survey was conducted online by Harris Poll, the public opinion polling subsidiary of Nielsen, on behalf of Merck between August 13 and September 3, 2015, among 2,606 U.S. adults who are employed at companies with two or more employees, including a national representative sample of 1,013 workers and at least 125 workers in 16 select industries. For the complete State of Curiosity survey results and to learn more about how the power of curiosity drives scientific discovery at Merck, visitwww.125YearsSmarterTogether.com.
