Bio :

Dr. Laura Matz serves as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, a role that entails spearheading the innovation agenda of a distinguished science and technology enterprise with a heritage exceeding 350 years in chemistry, biotechnology, and integrated materials solutions.
In her capacity, Laura collaborates closely with the Company Board and partners with Innovation Heads across Merck KGaA's three leading industry verticals: Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics. Her visionary leadership is instrumental in shaping the future of the enterprise, leveraging digital and AI/ML technologies to drive innovation, exploring new markets, fostering strategic partnerships, and developing cutting-edge capabilities and digital business models to deliver groundbreaking solutions. A recent notable achievement includes her role as CEO in launching Athinia™, a joint venture with Palantir, which introduced a pioneering data collaboration platform for the semiconductor ecosystem.
Prior to assuming the role of CSTO, Laura held the position of Senior Vice President within EMD Electronics, previously Versum Materials and Air Products Electronics division. With over 20 years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing and a decade dedicated to running semiconductor materials businesses, she has been a driving force in advancing semiconductor materials development, emphasizing robust R&D initiatives to fuel business growth.
Laura is well-recognized for her leadership style, fostering diverse teams to innovate and solve complex challenges facing humanity. She advocates for the empowerment of young talent in science and engineering, recognizing their potential to drive meaningful change.
Beyond her role at Merck KGaA, Laura serves on the Board of Directors of transformative organizations. She is a board member of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), championing a mission to inspire a safe, connected, and inclusive community of chemical engineering professionals worldwide. She contributes on the Board of SEMI Impact for Skills, a governance program focused on upskilling and reskilling initiatives, talent attraction, and accessing funding opportunities. Laura also serves as Director on the board of AION Labs, a Venture Studio pioneering a novel AI-based paradigm to drug innovation.
With her extensive industry experience, Laura is well regarded as a thought leader at the intersection of science, technology, innovation, and business.

Abstract :

Merck, a leading global Science and Technology company, operates across life science, healthcare, and electronics. With over 350 years ability in chemistry, biotechnology, and integrated materials solutions, Merck is at the forefront of leveraging data and digital technologies to drive innovation. By actively exploring new markets and developing its digital business models, Merck is leveraging its capabilities to deliver groundbreaking solutions to customers and patients.
In this presentation, Laura Matz, Merck's Chief Science and Technology Officer, will discuss the challenges faced by the Healthcare and Semiconductor industries and highlight how Merck utilizes digital business models and tools to provide solutions. Using AI as an example, she will showcase the benefits of data collaboration platforms in both Semiconductor and Healthcare industries as well as how AI is transforming drug discovery for proactive patient care.