Asics Partners With University Of Michigan On Footwear Research
Japanese footwear maker Asics partnered with the University of Michigan to create the Asics Michigan Sport Innovation Center as part of a $25 million commitment. The academic research lab aims to turn university research into consumer products, specifically targeting running and performance innovation. The project features six distinct labs. The focus on running innovation fits with the Asics direction. With 60% of Asics business derived from performance sport, roughly 45% of the overall Asics business comes from running (the additional 15% of performance sport is from team sports, led by tennis, and performance apparel). That means that product innovation born from AMSI may show up in different ways, whether new materials or fresh ideas in the long-running Kayano or Nimbus lines or even a brand-new product. “We’d like to be stronger in the United States, invest in the United States…
