EMD Chemicals to Open New Materials Science Research Lab in Cambridge, MA

GIBBSTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EMD Chemicals Inc., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA of Germany, announced today that it will open a new research and development laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Poised to open in the third quarter of 2008, this will be Merck KGaA’s first materials sciences-focused R&D endeavor in North America.

“This clearly follows our strategy of innovation and strengthens our North American presence”

“This clearly follows our strategy of innovation and strengthens our North American presence,” said Dr. Thomas Geelhaar, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Merck KGaA’s Chemicals business sector. “This is a further step toward expanding our competence as a leading supplier of technologically sophisticated and innovative products and solutions in specialty chemicals.”

Dieter Schroth, Business Director Liquid Crystals of EMD Chemicals and designated Head of the new R&D Center, added, “The new research and development lab will elaborate new material concepts and application fields in the area of inorganic optoelectronics. It also allows us to address new markets and strengthen our relationships with the North American innovation community.”

The center will be located in the heart of Cambridge, close to Harvard University and MIT. The materials sciences-related business development activities and the North American Liquid Crystal division will be integrated at this new site. Corresponding central support and logistics functions will remain at the EMD Chemicals Headquarters in Gibbstown, NJ.

About EMD Chemicals Inc.

EMD Chemicals represents the North American chemical sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Along with its sister company, EMD Crop BioScience, it is an international organization with 1,110 employees and revenues of more than $US 360 million, providing specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetic, automotive, plastics, electronics, agricultural and other industrial applications and is also engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of a broad array of research reagents used for life science research. EMD Chemicals is known in the market by its product brands including licristal^®, lisicon^®, livilux^®, isishape™, Iriodin^®, Xirallic^®, Rona^®, Calbiochem^®, Novabiochem^®, and Novagen^®, among others.

About Merck KGaA

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 7.1 billion in 2007, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 31,681 employees in 60 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.