Corning and Merck collaborate on advanced analytics, data sciences, and digital technologies

Corning and Merck collaborate on advanced analytics, data sciences, and digital technologies

Corning Incorporated and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, recently came together for a joint symposium focused on advanced analytics, data science, and digital technologies. The collaboration kicks off a new partnership between the two innovation leaders focused on developing new approaches to solve complex scientific and business challenges.

“This relationship will bring together experts in several disciplines to share best practices for combining the use of experimental methods, computational methods, and machine learning for reducing the time, cost, and risk in scientific innovation,” said David Morse, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Corning. "We see an opportunity to advance mutually agreed-upon projects in areas including machine learning, image analysis, data science, and high-performance computing.”

The evolution of Industry 4.0 technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the need for Smart Manufacturing’s modeling methods and sophisticated computerization has generated important developments in information collection. In addition, advances in data science and digital transformation have enhanced capabilities in various areas, including RD&E, manufacturing, and finance. Data now plays an essential role in reducing cost, improving efficiencies, and increasing yields.Comprehensive data collection is just the beginning. Building well-designed tools that use data to generate insight, and widespread use of those tools in combination with experts’ insight, experiments, and mathematical modeling, will revolutionize the invention and manufacturing of new materials.

"Merck and Corning see data science as a critical component of our technical domains, with applications particularly relevant to innovation processes and enhancing manufacturing efficiencies," said Susan Shiff, senior vice president, Merck Research Laboratories. "Leveraging data science will result in improved efficiencies and the more rapid development of innovative services and solutions."

2020 Symposium highlights synergies in digital transformation

The three-day virtual symposium featured a variety of technical knowledge sharing sessions where experts from both companies presented on key topics including "Machine Learning and Optimization for COVID and Beyond," "Natural Language Processing and Text Analytics," and "Applications of Computation and Mathematical Modeling."

"Real-world collaboration with partners who have shared interest in building digital capabilities is a powerful starting point," said Anne Mullins, Corning's senior vice president and chief digital and information officer, during the event's executive panel. "We are taking the right steps now to ensure success in the future."

Both Merck and Corning have thrived as industry leaders in their respective fields for well over a century through sustained investment in and dedication to research, development, and engineering. As new technologies advance the way we work, our capabilities remain versatile and synergistic, which allows for the evolution of skills to meet changing market needs.

"Data science and digital transformations are the future of business and manufacturing operations, said Mike Thien, senior vice president, Merck. "We currently use these skills to solve the problems at hand; however, the real key is teaming up with IT, manufacturing, and S&T to build the necessary infrastructure so that we can predict tomorrow's problems and prevent them."

The annual Merck | Corning Data Science Symposium will create a solid foundation for this new partnership. The program leaders hope that it will support future collaboration initiatives and provide a platform to advance both companies' capabilities.