Asics invests $25 million in its first US research hub with the University of Michigan

ASICS has chosen Ann Arbor as the home of its first U.S. research hub, deepening its commitment to athlete-focused innovation through a multi-year partnership with the University of Michigan. The new initiative fuses elite sports science, engineering, and AI to shape the next generation of performance footwear and apparel.

A $25 million sports innovation push

ASICS has established ASICS Institute of Sport Science America LLC and signed a $25 million multi-year strategic research agreement with the University of Michigan. Together, they are launching the ASICS–Michigan Sport Innovation Center, based on the university’s Ann Arbor campus.

The center will include a dedicated on-campus sports lab that serves as the hub for collaborative research. This partnership is designed as a long-term platform for ASICS to plug into one of the world’s leading public research universities while expanding its global R&D footprint beyond Japan.

Inside the new research hub

The ASICS–Michigan Sport Innovation Center will focus on several key areas: biomechanics, exercise physiology, AI-driven product design, and bioengineering. By combining lab-based testing with real-world data from Ann Arbor’s strong running community, the team aims to gain a deeper understanding of how athletes of all levels move, fatigue, and adapt in various conditions.

Establishing a North American hub also gives ASICS more frequent contact with its contracted athletes, making it easier to gather detailed performance data without requiring them to travel to Japan. Learnings from this work are expected to inform everything from race-day super shoes to everyday trainers and wellness-focused products.

Human-centric science and brand philosophy

ASICS frames the partnership as an extension of its founding philosophy, “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” — a sound mind in a sound body. The brand’s Institute of Sport Science (ISS) in Kobe has long led research in biomechanics and physiology, and in recent years has added AI-based modeling and rapid prototyping to its toolbox.

President and COO Mitsuyuki Tominaga said, “We are honored to enter into a strategic partnership with the University of Michigan, one of the world’s leading research-oriented universities”.

“We are thrilled to partner with ASICS, an organization that shares our commitment to solving complex challenges through innovation and a human-centered approach,” said President Domenico Grasso. “Welcoming ASICS’ inaugural U.S. research hub is a tremendous honor and affirms the strength of our faculty, students and collaborative research culture, both locally and globally.”

Why Ann Arbor and Michigan

Ann Arbor offers a dense, year-round running ecosystem that spans recreational runners to world-class training groups, giving researchers a living laboratory beyond the treadmills and force plates. The University of Michigan adds deep expertise in engineering, data science, kinesiology, and design, plus the ability to prototype and test new ideas quickly.

For ASICS, the hub advances its Global Integrated Enterprise strategy, which aims to connect research, product creation, and markets more tightly across regions. By anchoring a major R&D node in the United States, the company is positioning itself closer to a key growth market and a rich source of performance insights that can shape global collections.