Registry · MRK.DE
Does Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) support Israel?
Yes — Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Pharma & healthcare companies · Companies that support Israel
Background
Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, is the original Merck — a separate company from the American Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside North America), which was confiscated from the German parent after World War I and is covered on its own page here. Outside North America the German company operates as Merck Group; in the US and Canada it uses the EMD name. Its Israel record — the Inter-Lab subsidiary in Yavne, the bioincubator and the Qlight acquisition — belongs to the German company only and should not be attributed to US Merck & Co., and vice versa.
Wikipedia — Merck Group Merck Group — Merck in Israel
Timeline of documented support
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations in Israel | 1978 | — | State of Israel (Inter-Lab R&D center in Yavne and sites in Herzliya, Rehovot and Jerusalem) Merck KGaA has been active in Israel since 1978 and employs over 300 people there, mostly scientists, with R&D facilities for all three of its business sectors across Yavne, Herzliya, Rehovot and Jerusalem. Its wholly owned Israeli subsidiary Inter-Lab in Yavne developed and produces the active ingredient of the multiple-sclerosis blockbuster Rebif. Then-CEO Karl-Ludwig Kley said in 2015 that 15% of Merck's products have an Israeli background, and in 2018 a top executive said almost half of Merck's healthcare revenue is based on innovation stemming from Israel. | |
| Investment / program | 2011 | $13,100,000 | Merck Serono Israel Bioincubator Fund (Yavne) — Israeli biotech startups including Neviah Genomics, ChanBio and Metabomed Merck Serono, Merck KGaA's biopharma division, committed €10 million (about $13.1 million) between 2011 and 2018 to a bioincubator fund for early-stage Israeli biotech startups, hosted at its Inter-Lab R&D site in Yavne — described as the first biotech incubator set up in Israel by a multinational pharma company without Israeli government financial support. Incubated companies included Neviah Genomics (a joint venture with Israel's Compugen), ChanBio and Metabomed, which received seed financing and lab space. | |
| Acquisition | 2015 | — | Qlight Nanotech Ltd. (Jerusalem — Hebrew University spin-off) Merck KGaA fully acquired Qlight Nanotech, a Jerusalem-based maker of nanocrystal display materials spun off from Prof. Uri Banin's Hebrew University research, after building its stake through investments in 2012 and 2013 (reaching 50% ownership by 2013). In February 2018 Merck inaugurated a new innovation laboratory at the Jerusalem subsidiary to expand its quantum-materials research in Israel. |
Frequently asked questions
Did Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of cash donations, but Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel, Investment / program, Acquisition). See the records on this page.
Where does this information come from?
Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 8 distinct sources are cited for Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany). Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-07-29
- Times of Israel (2015) timesofisrael.com
- Times of Israel (2018) timesofisrael.com
- Globes en.globes.co.il
- CHEManager chemanager-online.com
- Times of Israel timesofisrael.com
- Chemeurope (Merck announcement) chemeurope.com
- Wikipedia — Merck Group en.wikipedia.org
- Merck Group — Merck in Israel merckgroup.com