Asics opens Ann Arbor lab with $25 million R&D commitment

By Rebecca Stone

Japanese athletic brand Asics has committed $25 million to a University of Michigan research collaboration whose findings are expected to inform new running and performance products by 2028. On the university’s Ann Arbor campus, the company has opened the Asics Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI) Lab. The announcement documents a research investment, not a footwear or apparel production order.

What does the Ann Arbor laboratory cover?

Asics says the facility will shorten the path from university research to real-world sport innovation and product development. University researchers will work alongside Asics scientists, product developers and athletes to prototype, test and refine ideas with real-world applications.

The lab supports AMSI, a joint research program established through a broader Asics and University of Michigan collaboration in December. The announcement does not specify the year of that collaboration or any production milestones attached to it.

Asics describes AMSI as a direct pipeline from academic discovery and athlete insight into real-world innovation.

Who leads the first research projects?

Six faculty members will initiate projects spanning six fields: biomechanics, materials science, robotics, design, computer vision, and athlete preferences and behavior.

• Ram Vasudevan, Ph.D.
• Talia Moore, Ph.D.
• Max Shtein, Ph.D.
• Sean Ahlquist, Ph.D.
• Elliott Rouse, Ph.D.
• Richard Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Potential applications include future running footwear, apparel and performance technologies. Athletes at every level of participation and performance will provide feedback throughout the research process. Researchers will use that feedback to evaluate how concepts perform outside the laboratory.

Asics expects AMSI Lab findings to progress into new experiments, technologies and product concepts. The company expects research to begin informing new running and performance products by 2028. Additional concepts and applications will develop over time, without a disclosed schedule.

What does Asics expect from the partnership?

“Asics has always placed athletes at the center of its research and product development,” said Mitsuyuki Tominaga, president and chief operating officer of Asics Corporation. “Our goal is to turn that knowledge into meaningful advances that help people move.”

Tominaga said the University of Michigan brings new thinking across science, engineering and design into Asics. He said that work can challenge how the company approaches performance innovation.

How does the funding connect to Asics research?

Asics’s $25 million commitment supports the collaboration. The company has not broken down the figure among construction, personnel, grants, equipment or testing.

The Asics Institute of Sport Science America (ISS America) supports the project. It is Asics’s first research entity in the United States and connects work in Michigan with the brand’s global R&D network. That network includes the Asics Institute of Sport Science Global Headquarters in Kobe, Japan.

Norihiko Taniguchi, ISS America chief executive officer and AMSI co-director, said the lab allows research questions to move faster into experimentation, athlete feedback and product learning. He said findings can directly inform future Asics research and shape new approaches to running and performance innovation.

University of Michigan president Domenico Grasso said both institutions share the conviction that research should provide what people need to live and move well. He said the shared philosophy now has a home in Ann Arbor and connects researchers from across the university with Asics innovators.

According to Grasso, the partnership advances scientific research and accelerates materials development for athletes at all levels.

What remains open for brands and suppliers?

The announcement names no factory, vendor, licensing partner or production capacity. It discloses no unit volumes, target prices, certifications, lead times or product count. No sales channel or commercial launch date accompanies the 2028 research horizon.

Asics has confirmed a funded collaboration and an opened laboratory. Commercial outcomes remain stated intentions, because no released product, production order or sourcing award follows the announcement. Sourcing teams should treat 2028 as a research-to-product horizon, not a delivery or volume commitment.

The next commercial checkpoint is whether the six faculty projects yield material and product concepts that inform Asics footwear and apparel development by the stated 2028 horizon. Until Asics discloses specifications, costs and validation results, buyers have no basis to treat the lab as a sourcing, compliance or channel commitment.