HORIBA Commemorates Official Grand Opening of the HORIBA Institute for Mobility and Connectivity2 (HIMaC2) at the University of California, Irvine

• Investment and programming highlights HORIBA's commitment to the alternative and new energy fields, building partnerships between industry and academia
• HORIBA gifted $9 million to establish and support HIMaC²
• Grand opening event was held Oct. 11, 2022

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HORIBA Group, a leading global provider of analytical and measurement systems, officially announced and celebrated the grand opening of the HORIBA Institute for Mobility and Connectivity² (HIMaC²) research facility, located at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

This new institute is a part of the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at UCI, which will focus on the future of zero-emission vehicles, connected and autonomous vehicle technology and the integration of the energy and transportation sectors to improve both the environment and people's lives.

"I'm very pleased to announce that this innovative and world-leading research institute has been completed under a longstanding cooperative relationship between UCI and HORIBA. I'm also honored that HORIBA's analysis and measurement expertise will contribute to groundbreaking research results from this HIMaC²," said Mr. Atsushi Horiba, Chairman & Group CEO, HORIBA, Ltd. "HORIBA is convinced that HIMaC² will contribute to realizing the new energy society and be an outstanding research institute to make our future society much more sustainable. As interest in electrification and hydrogen increases, the world is anxiously waiting for HIMaC²'s outcomes."

In 2018, HORIBA pledged a $9 million donation to establish and support the HIMaC². The institute, which is housed in a state-of-the-art facility within UCI's Engineering Gateway building, bridges the partnership between the industry and academia to bring forth new technology and solutions to solve our society's toughest and most demanding energy challenges.

The grand opening, held on Oct. 11, featured a reception for the 145 attendees, facility tours, as well as keynote speeches made by HORIBA and UCI executives.

"HIMaC² represents a collection of state-of-the-art research laboratories for conducting crucially important and highly innovative research in the future of transportation, energy, and their interconnections. It puts UCI in the forefront of this emerging field leading to breakthrough discoveries, inventions and their translation for benefits to society," said Pramod Khargonekar, UCI Vice Chancellor for Research. "We are grateful to HORIBA for their philanthropic gifts to UCI and for their collaboration to advance new technologies toward a shared vision for the future of sustainable transportation and energy systems."

Since its inauguration on July 6, 2021, the HIMaC² has been hard at work, actively addressing the challenges of sustainable energy through numerous projects and research initiatives. The progress being made at the institute has drawn significant attention and praise from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as the organization has awarded a $6 million grant to establish a Public Road Network Platform for future connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.

Current active projects in the facility include research in partnership with the California Air Resources Board focusing on regulatory initiatives to enable market readiness for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Several other future projects are under discussion which will continue to build the growing reputation of HIMaC² as it makes positive contributions to the mobility and energy field.

To view and download photos from the event, click here.

Founded in 1953, HORIBA has explored a wide range of unique measurement and analysis technologies to meet global customer needs from group companies and local sites spread across 28 counties and regions. Under the corporate motto Joy and Fun, the company has expanded and refined its core technologies to solve society's energy issues of today and tomorrow. Our unique measurement and analysis technologies are valued in various fields of society including the three megatrend business fields of Energy & Environment, Biology & Healthcare and Materials & Semiconductor. For more information on HORIBA, visit https://www.horiba.com/int/company/about-horiba/home/

A new institute within the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. HIMaC² is focused on the future of zero-emission vehicles, the integration of the energy and transportation sectors through electricity and hydrogen, and the emerging connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. The facilities encompass the Vehicle Evolution Laboratory, the Grid Evolution Laboratory, the Connected and Autonomous Mobility Laboratory, and the Analytic Laboratory.

Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media Contacts

Rachael (Waynick) Clemence
MBE Group on behalf of HORIBA
Account Executive
[email protected] | +248 563 3111

Jeff Hunter
HORIBA
[email protected] | +949 299 7467

Brian Bell
University of California, Irvine
[email protected] | +949-565-5533

SOURCE HORIBA