The University of Michigan and ASICS will establish the ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center, a pioneering research effort aimed at advancing human performance and sport science, through a new multi-year research collaboration.
ASICS will commit $25 million in funding to support the research program.
This initiative will bring together an interdisciplinary team of researchers from across the university to partner with the Japan-based sportswear company, uniting experts from medicine, engineering, human performance, robotics, textiles and the social sciences to drive innovation and advance sport performance.
The Ann Arbor campus will also host ASICS’ first research hub in the United States.
“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 U-M 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.”
The ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center aims to create disruptive innovations that enhance athletic performance, blending ASICS’ global integrated enterprise of research with U-M’s comprehensive research strengths and well-established running community. Interdisciplinary collaboration with U-M faculty will further accelerate research and the development of new technologies, benefitting athletes at all levels.
Together, ASICS and U-M will leverage cutting-edge facilities and engagement programs to collaborate directly with athletes. This collaboration will deepen an understanding of human performance needs and advance data-driven solutions for peak performance by adopting ASICS’ approach toward human-centric science.
“We are honored to enter into a strategic partnership with the University of Michigan, one of the world’s leading research-oriented universities,” said Mitsuyuki Tominaga, President and COO of ASICS Corporation. “Since our founding, ASICS has upheld the philosophy of ‘Anima Sana In Corpore Sano’ — a sound mind in a sound body — and has long supported athletes of all levels in achieving peak performance through fundamental research and advanced technology. Today, under our Mid-Term Plan 2026, we are driving long-term research focused on athletes to further strengthen innovation. Establishing this research entity in the United States — home to many of the world’s top athletes and a key market for our future growth — is a source of great pride for us. This initiative is part of that effort, aimed at building a global R&D network and accelerating athlete-focused research. Going forward, we will continue to make “what benefits athletes” the standard for all decisions, listen sincerely to athletes’ voices, and pursue product development that contributes to their success. By integrating the latest research, we will also strive to create breakthrough innovations.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer applauded the new research collaboration, calling it a “huge win for Michigan.”
“Michigan has a proud tradition of innovation from our auto industry to health sciences, and we’re building on that tradition to make our state the best place to have an idea,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today’s announcement will bring together researchers from one of our flagship public universities with ASICS to pioneer new advances in sports. This is a huge win for Michigan. Let’s keep working together to grow our economy, foster innovation and make a real difference in people’s lives.”
The university’s culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration was pivotal in the company’s decision to establish its first U.S.-based research presence at U-M. Innovation Partnerships, a division of the Office of the Vice President for Research and the university’s research commercialization arm, convened a broad team of researchers, who will be led by Ken Kozloff, co-director of the Human Performance & Sport Science Center, to join forces with ASICS to approach complex challenges from multiple perspectives.
Faculty representing the College of Engineering, School of Kinesiology, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute for Social Research and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, as well as Michigan Medicine, are engaged in this initiative. The inaugural faculty members of the new research initiative steering committee include: Sean Ahlquist, Rich Gonzalez, Talia Moore, Elliott Rouse, Max Shtein and Ram Vasudevan.
“The University of Michigan ecosystem is rich with experts who share a passion for making a difference in people’s lives through their research,” said Kozloff, who is the Steven A. Goldstein Collegiate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and professor of kinesiology and biomedical engineering. “The ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center is an incredible opportunity to unite talent from different disciplines to collaborate with ASICS. By tackling the challenges of athletic performance from diverse vantage points, we will strengthen our impact in unique ways. The collaboration between the University and ASICS will yield new innovations in athletic footwear and training gear, supporting athletes of all levels.”
ASICS conducted a rigorous process to identify an academic collaborator, evaluating multiple universities. The company reached out to the University of Michigan through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which serves as a partner to companies looking to invest in the state.
