Qiagen N.V. Announces Metin Colpan Decides Not to Stand for Re-Election of Supervisory Board

Published: 2026-05-12 10:36:42 ET QGEN

Published on 05/12/2026 at 10:36 am EDT

Qiagen N.V. announced Dr. Metin Colpan has decided to conclude his service on the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting and will not stand for re-election. In recognition of his contributions to QIAGEN, the Supervisory Board intends to appoint him as Honorary Chairman following the meeting. Dr. Colpan played a defining role in QIAGEN?s creation and development, helping establish its scientific foundation, entrepreneurial culture and long-term strategic direction.

A co-founder of QIAGEN, he served as Chief Executive Officer from 1985 to 2003 and helped build the company from a university-linked start-up in Düsseldorf into a global leader in Sample to Insight solutions. Dr. Colpan?s pioneering scientific work in nucleic acid separation and purification helped shape technologies that became important QIAGEN products, and have since been widely adopted in molecular biology labs across the world. These innovations have enabled faster, more reliable and more efficient isolation and analysis of DNA and RNA, supporting advances across the Life Sciences and clinical diagnostics.

Since 2004, Dr. Colpan has continued to contribute to QIAGEN?s strategic and scientific direction as a member of the Supervisory Board, including as Chair of the Science & Technology Committee since 2014. His contributions have also received external recognition, including his selection as a finalist for the European Patent Office?s 2021 European Inventor Award in the lifetime achievement category. Beyond his scientific and entrepreneurial contributions, Dr. Colpan has been closely associated with QIAGEN?s people-centered culture, emphasizing the importance of translating scientific innovation into lasting impact for customers, patients and society.