Merck KGaA inaugurated its GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center in Shenzhen’s Nanshan on June 1, marking the German pharmaceuticals and technology giant’s latest and most technology-focused addition to its China footprint.

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 June 1. Photos by Lin Jianping

The 2,500-square-meter facility is a joint project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shenzhen city government. According to Merck, it will contribute global technological resources, equipment and lab supplies to help local firms strengthen 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. "Shenzhen is really the capital of science and technology, so we need to be here."

Unlike Merck's Beijing center, which focuses on clinical science and trials, and the 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.

Rogier Janssens (R) and a guest applaud the inauguration of Merck's GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center during a ceremony in Nanshan on June 1. 

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 the government.

"I would have never imagined that a country can develop and change so rapidly," he said. "We are much more open to partnership and to collaboration."

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.”

An automated assay workstation, which automates routine laboratory experiments previously performed manually, is displayed at the newly inaugurated innovation and collaboration center.

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 as commercialized medicines.

'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 historical company and this beautiful, newly built city," Janssens said.

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 China President Rogier Janssens (C) tours laboratory facilities at the newly inaugurated GBA Innovation and Collaboration Center in Nanshan. 

Merck has invested about 7 billion yuan (US$885 million) in China over the past decade, according to statistics. The company, which operates across healthcare, life sciences and electronics, reported net sales of nearly €21.2 billion (US$24.7 billion) in 2025.