Innovation Cup 2026

GREAT MINDS COME TOGETHER AT MERCK KGaA, DARMSTADT, GERMANY

As a participant in our Innovation Cup, you get a chance to network with top students from around the world, work in teams to develop new innovative ideas for unmet customer needs, and build a business case with support from experienced professionals. We are offering shared prizes of €20,000 for the winning team, €5,000 for the runner-up and €3,000 for third place. Selected top performing participants could get an offer for a permanent employment at Merck. And to make things even more interesting, options to implement the best business plans will be evaluated.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

As part of the Innovation Cup, selected applicants join a week-long summer camp, to work together in a highly stimulating environment. 

• Work as part of a team to generate new ideas in the fields: Oncology, Neuroscience & Immunology, Drug Discovery, Fertility, Synthetic Biology, Smart Facturing and Advanced Electronic Materials..
• Evaluate your ideas from a technical and business perspective and build a convincing business plan
• Learn the essentials about R&D within the pharmaceutical industry
• Network with the brightest students from all over the world
• Understand how products can be successfully discovered, developed, and brought to market
• Get to know Merck and learn about career options

A jury consisting of senior Merck researchers and managers as well as external experts pick the winning business plans for first and second place.

On the first day of the summer camp, a conference with alumni of previous Innovation Cup editions is organized. Learn what alumni are doing today and expand your network of top innovators.

Following the Innovation Cup, options to implement the best business plans are evaluated. We will keep you posted.

Travel, accommodation and food expenses are paid for by Merck.

This program is not open to healthcare professionals. Merck retains exclusive right to make any press release or any kind of public communication about the Innovation Cup winner(s).

TEAMS

At the Innovation Cup, several teams run in parallel, covering the areas described below. Based on interest and expertise, participants choose the fields they are most interested in. We look forward to meeting you soon!

• ONCOLOGY: The team will work on new innovative approaches for the targeted treatment of cancer with small molecules or proteins either directly attacking cancer cells or via stimulating the immune system and overcoming the immunosuppressive environment of tumors.
• NEUROSCIENCE & IMMUNOLOGY: The team will work on innovative approaches for the treatment of immune-mediated neurological diseases and rheumatological diseases of high unmet need.
• DRUG DISCOVERY: The team will work on innovative approaches to discover, screen, design and optimize new small molecular drugs or protein or nucleic-acid based drugs and their formulations.  
• FERTILITY: The team will work on new innovative approaches and molecular targets for reproductive longevity to extend fertility and delay menopause.
• SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY: The team will work on innovative approaches to leverage the power of synthetic biology for new tools enabling the scientific community and to discover, screen, design and optimize new protein and nucleic-acid based drugs and their formulations 
• SMART MANUFACTURING: The team will work on innovative approaches for AI-driven energy saving, digital twins for manufacturing process optimization and top notch digitalization and automation solutions.
• ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS: The team will work developing a new material concept that reduces the large footprint caused by etch or film growth stop layers in modern semiconductor manufacturing. These layers are essential for producing advanced logic and memory chips, but innovative materials and methods are needed to keep up with the demand for smaller features in future nodes while keeping costs down.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Application Deadline: January 31, 2026. You may apply for more than one team.
• Notification: Applicants will be informed about next steps by early March 2026.
• Idea Submission: Selected applicants will be invited to submit ideas by early April 2026.
• Team Selection: Team assignments will be finalized by early May 2026.
• Event Dates: The summer camp takes place from August 8-14 2026, near Frankfurt, Germany, with all travel, accommodation, and food expenses covered by Merck.