German chemicals and pharmaceuticals group Merck KGaA has signed an R&D agreement with Ewing, New Jersey-based Universal Display Corporation (UDC) to cooperate on developing new products and further advancing OLED displays.

The joint development program will bring together the US company’s expertise in leading-edge phosphorescent OLED emitters and Merck’s state-of-the-art transport materials, with the goal of developing higher performing OLED stacks for OLED manufacturers worldwide.

UDC’s Universal’s PHOLED technology and materials are designed to enable energy-efficient displays and lighting.

Kai Beckmann, CEO Performance Materials and member of the Executive Board of Merck, said the two partners “bring a perfectly matching set of know-how to the table” that will “greatly support” the Darmstadt-based liquid crystals giant in supplying its customers.

New insights gained during the collaboration will also help to “further advance and increase the performance of OLED technology in general, one of the most promising fields for the display industry,” Beckmann said.

Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of the New Jersey company, said the research pactl with Merck will “help expand the landscape of bright, beautiful, brilliant OLED displays in the marketplace.”

Under a long standing agreement dating back to 2000, UDC’s PHOLED-based products are exclusively produced by paints and coatings manufacturer PPG at its plants in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, and Barberton, Ohio, manufacturing facilities.