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 mutli-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--including MSE Professor Max Shtein--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 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,” Whitmer said. “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, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute for Social Research and LSA, as well as Michigan Medicine, are engaged in this initiative. The inaugural faculty members of the new research initiative steering committee include: 

• Sean Ahlquist, associate professor of architecture, Taubman College.
• Rich Gonzalez, the Amos N. Tversky Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Statistics, LSA; research professor and center director, Research Center for Group Dynamics ISR.
• Talia Moore, assistant professor of robotics and of mechanical engineering, CoE.
• Elliott Rouse, associate professor of robotics and of mechanical engineering, CoE.
• Max Shtein, professor of materials science and engineering, and of chemical engineering, CoE.
• Ram Vasudevan, associate professor of robotics and of mechanical engineering, CoE.

“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, the Steven A Goldstein Ph.D. Collegiate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and professor of kinesiology in SoK; professor of orthopaedic surgery in the Medical School; and professor of biomedical engineering in CoE and Medical School. 

“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 U-M through the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which serves as a partner to companies looking to invest in the state.