A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to seal the partnership which aims to implement and deploy innovative trust technology solutions to drive the digital transformation of Singapore-based companies, particularly in key and highly regulated industries. The partnership, which sees NTU's efforts led by its Digital Trust Centre alongside Merck, will also accelerate the growth of digital-physical ecosystems that foster digital trust in value chains.

"As regulatory expectations rise, businesses must maintain trust and compliance, and evolve from traditional, human-dependent quality control to data-driven decision-making in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Singapore has an exceptional digital business landscape and a strong commitment to digital transformation," said James Kugler, Chief Digital Officer of Merck and CEO of EMD Digital. "We are excited to introduce our digital-physical trust technology to Singapore, the first in Asia Pacific. With this collaboration with DTC, Merck brings another innovative digital business technology to Singapore, further expanding Merck's digital business within less than one year."

"At NTU's Digital Trust Centre, we are dedicated to advancing the frontiers of digital trust through cutting-edge research and innovation. This partnership with Merck aligns with our mission to develop scalable solutions that enhance trust in digital-physical ecosystems. By leveraging NTU's expertise in trust technologies and computer science, and Merck's pioneering technology, we aim to drive impactful solutions for industries that require the highest levels of security and transparency," said Professor Lam Kwok Yan, NTU Singapore's Associate Vice President (Strategy & Partnerships), and Executive Director, Digital Trust Centre.

This collaboration with NTU's DTC will leverage Merck's innovative multi-patented technology and the national research centre's expertise to implement solutions in key industries. By reliably anchoring physical objects to digital identities, the platform enables stakeholders to securely access and manage critical data, fostering innovation, enhancing efficiency and building trust for today and the future.

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About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2023, Merck generated sales of € 21 billion in 65 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.

About Merck in Singapore

Merck Singapore is the regional headquarters in Asia Pacific with close to 450 employees supporting the life science, healthcare and electronics businesses. Merck Singapore is also the regional training and application hub, offering technology transfer and optimization for the Life Science industry in the region. Singapore is also home to Merck's first GMP BioReliance® biosafety testing lab, offering critical testing services to ensure the safe release of medicines to patients around the world, and the first Merck Digital Hub in Asia Pacific, to support the advancement of digital innovation across healthcare, semiconductor, and artificial intelligence (AI).

About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 35,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Business, Computing & Data Science, Engineering, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, Medicine, Science, and Graduate colleges.

NTU is also home to world-renowned autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).

Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

Ranked amongst the world's top universities, the University's main campus is also frequently listed among the world's most beautiful. Known for its sustainability, NTU has achieved 100% Green Mark Platinum certification for all its eligible building projects. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a medical campus in Novena, Singapore's healthcare district.

For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg

About the Digital Trust Centre

The Digital Trust Centre (DTC) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, is the national hub for research and development in trust technologies, with a particular focus on AI safety and cybersecurity. By fostering talent and industry engagement, the DTC seeks to ensure that Singapore remains at the forefront of global digitalization efforts, building a foundation of trust for the digital economy.