BRIEF—Merck KGaA signs up for Taiwan venture

H Spectrum, a Taiwan-based healthcare fund backed by Foxconn, have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the German life sciences group Merck KGaA to establish H Spectrum & Merck Innovation Lab.

H Spectrum is a start-up platform hosted by Gou's YongLin Healthcare Foundation

Through the lab, Merck and Foxconn will focus on collaborations in four areas, including precision medicine, liquid biopsy, bio-sensors and interface, as well as patient management.

The two companies will also support Taiwan's biotech start-ups in the four areas.

Since Merck has already been supplying special materials to the Foxconn Group for a long time, the new partnership is expected to further advance Foxconn's involvement in biotechnology business, some market watchers pointed out.