DARMSTADT, Germany & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, will convene renowned designers, scientists, architects, artists and futurists for its sixth annual Displaying Futures symposium, entitled “The Future is HOW? Inspired by Performance Materials.” The symposium on November 5 will focus on how emerging technology influences design practices and performance materials.
This year’s symposium in San Francisco, California brings together experts from across disciplines to provide a range of cultural perspectives and insights into market trends and technological challenges. Topics will cover developments in – and the future of – digital media, product design, and the “Internet of Things”, and technologies that are ideally suited for performance and design.
“We are honored to host a renowned group of experts to provide insights into future applications of materials and high-tech chemicals for advanced applications,” said Bernd Reckmann, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Executive Board Member and CEO Life Science & Performance Materials. “We look forward to engaging our customers and partners in the U.S. in a conversation about the future of highly innovative materials for advanced technologies.” This is the first time the symposium is being held in the U.S.
The event will feature leading futurists and thinkers:
- Ray Kurzweil, one of the world’s leading inventors and futurists, responsible for the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, and many other ground-breaking inventions. Kurzweil’s keynote will highlight how design and innovation will work together to shape the future.
- The keynote will be followed by moderated discussions featuring Yves Béhar, a designer, entrepreneur and sustainability advocate who is the founder and principal designer of Fuseproject; Nilofer Merchant, a bestselling author on innovation and collaboration and a business leader who challenges audiences to think and act differently; and Pranav Mistry, a renowned scientist and inventor who has contributed to many fields including wearable computing, augmented reality and gestural computing.
- The sessions will be moderated by Rory Cellan-Jones, a respected reporter for BBC covering business and technology.
The event will take place on Thursday, November 5, at the Contemporary Jewish Museum located at 736 Mission Street in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.emdgroup.com and www.displaying-futures.com.
About EMD Performance Materials
EMD Performance Materials, the North America high-tech materials business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, comprises a portfolio for applications in fields such as consumer electronics, lighting, coatings, printing technology, plastics, and cosmetics. Key products are: display materials, LED materials for lighting as well as OLED materials for lighting and displays, functional materials for solar panels and energy solutions, effect pigments as well as active ingredients and fillers for cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical products, effect pigments and functional materials for coatings, printing and plastics and high-purity specialty chemical materials for the electronics and semiconductor industry.
All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.
About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 40,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2014, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 11.3 billion in 66 countries.
Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, EMD Millipore and EMD Performance Materials.
