ASICS Opens Its First Industry-Academia R&D Lab for Running Innovation with the University of Michigan

Ann Arbor-based ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI) brings together multidisciplinary research, athlete insight, and innovation expertise to advance humancentric running product development

KOBE, Japan and ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --  ASICS and the University of Michigan today announced the opening of AMSI Lab, a new academic research and development laboratory on the University's Ann Arbor campus. The lab supports the ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI), a joint research program established through a broader research collaboration between the company and university announced in December. AMSI Lab, ASICS' first industry-academia innovation lab, is designed to create a more direct path from university research to real-world sport innovation and product development.

AMSI Lab brings together ASICS' Human Centric Science approach and product expertise with the University of Michigan's multidisciplinary strengths in science, engineering, and design to translate academic research into new technologies and product concepts for running performance, footwear, and apparel. University researchers will work alongside ASICS scientists, product developers, and athletes to prototype, test, and refine ideas with real-world applications.

"ASICS has always placed athletes at the center of its research and product development," said Mitsuyuki Tominaga, President and COO of ASICS Corporation. "Working with the University of Michigan allows us to engage with new thinking across science, engineering, and design that can challenge how we approach performance innovation. Our goal is to turn that knowledge into meaningful advances that help people move."

This collaborative model gives University of Michigan researchers an opportunity to apply their multidisciplinary expertise to real-world performance challenges.     

"The University of Michigan and ASICS share the conviction that research should benefit people by providing what they need to live and move well," said U-M President Domenico Grasso. "Today, that shared philosophy finds a home here in Ann Arbor. The AMSI Lab connects Michigan researchers from across the university with ASICS innovators to advance scientific research and accelerate the development of materials to help athletes of all levels."

AMSI Lab is partnering with six faculty members who will initiate projects spanning biomechanics, materials science, robotics, design, computer vision, and athlete preferences and behavior, with potential applications to future running footwear, apparel, and performance technologies:

• Biomechanics for Real-World Measurement: Ram Vasudevan, Ph.D., ROAHM Lab: Using computer vision to estimate runners' movement and physical loading from video, potentially bringing advanced biomechanics analysis beyond the traditional laboratory.
• Bio-Inspired Designs for Specialized Terrain: Talia Moore, Ph.D., EMBiR Lab: Studying how animals move across loose and uneven surfaces to explore footwear concepts designed for challenging terrain.
• Kirigami-Based Designs for Novel Shoe Structures: Max Shtein, Ph.D., Smart Materials Lab: Applying structural principles inspired by traditional Japanese kirigami to explore lightweight, adaptive footwear designs.
• Future 3D Fabrics for Immersive Strides: Sean Ahlquist, Ph.D., Lab for SocioMaterial Architectures: Combining advanced knitting techniques, sensing, and smart materials to explore new forms of personalized fit, feedback, and support.
• Elastic Energy Loop for Efficient Running: Elliott Rouse, Ph.D., Neurobionics Lab: Exploring wearable structures that store and release energy to reduce fatigue and support forward propulsion during running.
• Novel Product Mapping for Disruptive Design Outcomes: Richard Gonzalez, Ph.D., BioSocial Methods Lab: Studying how runners' preferences, perceptions, and performance relate to footwear characteristics to identify new opportunities for product design.

Athletes of all levels of participation and performance will provide real-world feedback throughout the research process, helping researchers evaluate how concepts perform outside the laboratory. The southeast Michigan region's broad running community of recreational and elite athletes also provides an important environment for testing and learning.

"The AMSI Lab provides a space for us to combine our breadth of research strengths across campus with ASICS expertise in order to bring new innovations to light," said Ken Kozloff, Co-Director of the ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center. "By translating discoveries made in the lab into testable prototypes, we are looking forward to helping runners at every level train and recover better."

The collaboration represents a commitment by ASICS of $25 million and is supported by ASICS Institute of Sport Science America LLC (ISS America), ASICS' first U.S. research entity. ISS America connects work conducted in Michigan with ASICS' broader global R&D network, including the ASICS Institute of Sport Science Global Headquarters (ISS HQ) in Kobe, Japan.

"AMSI Lab gives us a way to move more quickly from research questions to experimentation, athlete feedback, and product learning," said Norihiko Taniguchi, CEO of ASICS Institute of Sport Science America LLC and Co-Director of the ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center. "What we learn here can directly inform future ASICS research and help shape new approaches to running and performance innovation."

As research progresses, findings from AMSI Lab will move into new experiments, technologies, and product concepts, creating a more direct pipeline from academic discovery and athlete insight to real-world innovation. Research from AMSI Lab is expected to begin informing new ASICS running and performance products by 2028, with additional concepts and applications developing over time.

About ASICS Institute of Sport Science America LLC 

ASICS Institute of Sport Science America LLC (ISS America) was established in December 2025 as ASICS' first U.S. research entity. It expands ASICS' global R&D capability by leveraging the United States' advanced research environment, rapid prototyping ecosystem, proximity to the North American market and access to a broad running community. ISS America complements the end-to-end research capabilities of the ASICS Institute of Sport Science Global Headquarters (ISS HQ) in Kobe, Japan, and connects knowledge generated in the United States with ASICS' wider R&D and productdevelopment network. 

About ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center

The ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center is a joint research program established as part of the multi-year strategic research collaboration between ASICS and the University of Michigan. Its mission is to advance athletic excellence by generating new knowledge about human movement and performance, and fusing art, science, and engineering to drive transformative innovation. AMSI Lab, the dedicated laboratory on the University's Ann Arbor campus, supports interdisciplinary research, experimentation, early-stage prototyping, testing, athlete insight, talent development, and public communication of research findings. 

About ASICS Institute of Sport Science 

ASICS has consistently pursued innovation through a global research framework that combines advanced technology with athlete-centric design. At the core of this effort is the ASICS Institute of Sport Science Global Headquarters (ISS HQ) in Kobe, Japan, which conducts end-to-end research from fundamental studies in exercise physiology, materials science, and structural design through applied research and product development and implementation.

ISS is committed to Human Centric Science, which combines detailed analysis of human movement with the application of proprietary materials and structural-design technologies to develop solutions that maximize human potential through sport. ISS HQ in Kobe serves as ASICS' global core hub, complemented by ISS America and ISS Europe, which bring ASICS closer to regional athletes, research partners, and specialized facilities.   

About the University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is one of the nation's leading public universities, known for excellence in education, research, and public service. Across its campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint, U-M advances discovery and innovation in health, science, engineering, business, the arts, humanities, and beyond.

For more than 200 years, the university has been committed to educating students, advancing knowledge, and serving communities in Michigan, across the nation and around the world. U-M is also home to Michigan Medicine, a nationally recognized academic health system, and world-renowned intercollegiate athletics program.

SOURCE ASICS