These days, every company needs to include sustainability in its business strategy. Overcoming global challenges requires top innovation performance from everyone. At Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, we have set ourselves specific sustainability goals for shaping a more livable future.

Mobile devices with flexible displays: Multiple manufacturers of mobile communication devices have already announced them, and others have followed at the Mobile World Congress (MCW) in Barcelona last week.

Digitalization is transforming not only our lives, but also the world of work. Digital literacy training and continuing education are therefore more important than ever.

2021 was a year of extremes for the semiconductor and electronics industry. On the one hand, demand for chips has never been higher. On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic has shaken global supply chains so hard that semiconductors have become a scarce commodity and will remain so in the future.

The coronavirus has already kept us in suspense for one and a half years. Apart from personal sacrifices and blows of fate, this pandemic has revealed weak points in society, politics and business, both globally as well as in Europe and Germany.

More data, more powerful chips. These days, semiconductors are at the heart of the technologies we all use at work and at home. Chips have become incredibly complex, and this is revolutionizing the way in which semiconductor companies approach chip design.

When people talk about the mobility of tomorrow, the topic of autonomous driving quickly comes up. Autonomous driving requires not only enormous computing power in the cars but also sensors that allow the vehicle to see where it is and where it’s going.

With the advance of social networks, artificial intelligence and robots, many new ethical questions arise. Companies in particular are faced with increasing demands with regard to the responsible use of digital technologies and data.

Speed is often crucial. This also applies when developing new material combinations – whether innovative solutions for the semiconductor industry or the latest liquid crystal mixtures in display technology.

In the digital age, companies are dependent upon recognizing new technology trends early on. Exchanging ideas with others is emerging as a key element of this.