Merck is the world market leader in manufacturing and marketing liquid crystals for liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Products from Merck are used in displays for LCD televisions, notebooks and PC monitors, mobile phones, clocks and watches, measuring instruments, digital cameras, camcorders, navigation systems and many other digital displays. Merck’s innovative strength is evidenced by more than 2,500 patents for liquid crystals, their mixtures and display applications.

Merck’s position in the liquid crystals business remains excellent. Growth in the LCD market, which is being driven by LCD televisions, continues to be dynamic, the business is highly profitable. Merck holds the technological leadership position and, as the market leader, is successfully asserting its position against the competition. The competitive landscape in the LCD market shifted in the course of 2007. Having faced competition in the display technologies known as IPS (in-plane switching) and TN-TFT (twisted nematic/thin film transistor) for some time, Merck is now meeting with competition in VA technology (vertical alignment). Merck was prepared for this and developed strategies based on innovative LCD technologies in order to deal with the new situation and to maintain its leading position. The foundation for this is know-how derived from more than 100 years of liquid crystal production at Merck.

This is being complemented by new business opportunities, such as reactive mesogens for optical compensation films. These improve contrast and viewing angle dependency and are used in special foils found in LCD televisions. By leveraging the technological competence existing in the company and cooperating closely with its LC customers, Merck is working to profitably expand the product portfolio. Decades of close local ties to customers offer Merck the best preconditions for maintaining its competitive lead.

Third-party recognition also confirms Merck’s leading position. In 2007, the company won various awards for its liquid crystals activities, for example the renowned “Frost & Sullivan European Technology Leadership Award.” In Korea, Merck won the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology Award at the IMID, a major regional venue for the display industry, as well as the Prime Minister’s Korea Investment Award.