Merck Korea (CEO Dr. Woo-Kyu Kim), the Korean subsidiary of the leading science and technology company Merck, participated in the 2nd Korea Information Display Society Display Camp, communicating with students, sharing relevant knowledge, and contributing to the nurturing of future talent in the display industry.

Merck participated as a sponsor in the 2nd Display Camp organized by the Korea Institute of Information Display (KIDS) on July 28.

This display camp was held to foster future talent by increasing interest in displays, and in keeping with the purpose of social contribution activities, it was conducted for a total of 250 students, including elementary and middle school students, including those from underprivileged backgrounds, without any separate registration fee.

“Dr. Woo-Kyu Kim, President of Merck Korea, stated, ‘With our expertise in customized liquid crystal materials and a long-standing passion for innovation, Merck is realizing perfect pixels in real life through high-performance display materials. For over 50 years, Merck has been involved in the research and development of LC (liquid crystals) for displays, and through continuous research, we have achieved the feat of becoming a global market leader in this field.’” "We hope that through this Display Camp, in which we participated as a global leader in the display industry, we can bridge the 'information gap' for vulnerable groups and support their future development and growth," he said.

Park Sang-hee, President of the Korea Institute of Information Display (KIDS), which hosted the training on this day, said, “Displays are devices that connect people and information, and are important hardware that is inseparable from daily life. The interest in displays shown by the students participating in this camp will determine the future of Korea’s display technology, both academically and industrially. I hope they grow into experts in the field of displays.”

Unlike the first educational event, which was limited to elementary school students, the target audience was expanded to include middle school students for the second event this year. The morning session of this event, conducted via online recorded lectures, consisted of four classes for elementary students covering the basics of displays, LC/OLED materials, quantum dots, and virtual and augmented reality, while the afternoon session consisted of five classes for middle school students covering photoresist, driving circuits, picture quality, the principles of OLED, and the future of displays.

At this event, Merck’s Principal Researchers Park Sun-mi, Seo Ji-dong, and Chang Dae-kwon participated as speakers to introduce the new future created by LC/OLED materials and OLED displays, as well as photoresist, an essential material for displays and semiconductors. They explained that future displays, such as augmented reality, can be realized through Merck’s advanced technology.

A 15-minute Q&A session was held after each lecture, during which students asked the speakers questions in real time and received answers. After all the lectures were concluded, outstanding questioners were selected and awarded, and students who participated in the training were issued camp completion certificates in the name of the President of the Korea Institute of Information Display (KIDS).

Merck, a leader in the global display market, has been actively researching OLED technology for over 20 years and has collaborated with researchers and panel manufacturers worldwide to develop materials specialized for OLED displays, as well as new forms of displays such as rollable, transparent, and foldable displays.

In particular, in Korea, a foundation for the R&D, production, and stable supply of OLED materials was established in 2005, and two R&D centers were built domestically: the OLED Composite Material Development Center (2011) and the OLED Application Center (2015). Recently, OLED sublimation purification equipment was installed at the Pyeongtaek Technology Center to strengthen production capacity and purity control capabilities.

As Korea is one of Merck's key investment destinations, the company announced an investment of approximately 600 million euros last year as part of the 'Level Up' growth program to expand production space and foster R&D and innovation.