Asics continues to expand its global reach in the name of innovation and revealed on Tuesday that its Australian subsidiary has formed the Asics Institute of Sport Science Australia to help deepen its research network.
The company said that its Asics Oceania Pty. Ltd. division will collaborate with local universities and experts to research human movement and footwear biomechanics, developing next-generation products that enhance athletic performance while reducing physical strain.
“Australia has a well-established podiatry sector, which focuses on the health and function of the lower limbs, including the feet and ankles,” the company said in a statement. “It is also home to universities and research institutions that are globally renowned for sports science, with research spanning a wide range of topics related to human movement and physical performance. Asics has previously collaborated with local universities and experts, including podiatrists, primarily on product validation and research.”
Meanwhile, the new facility will also study sports that are embedded in the athletic culture of Australia, like netball, which is similar to basketball, to get an accurate sense of activities that are active on the continent. Asics said it looks to lean into the kind of research that will ultimately could be deployed across its products like footwear and apparel.
“Specifically, research will analyze the body’s responses during running and the loads placed on the lower limbs when changing direction suddenly,” the company said. “This will deepen understanding of how the body moves and how footwear affects movement, with the aim of maximizing athlete performance while accounting for physical strain.”
The move comes weeks after the brand held an unveiling event for its joint Sport Innovation Center with the University of Michigan that widened its existing pact with the institution.
The lab is based at Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus and is part of a $25 million committed to the new venture that is aimed at building the next breakthroughs in running product development. The university’s researchers and Asics scientists will work together to look at all aspects of how materials, human form and practical use will emerge from the concept stage to prototypes that could eventually see real world application.
At the company’s global headquarters in Kobe, Japan, the Institute of Sport Science serves as the central hub of inspiration that labs far from its homeland are based on. In addition to the facility in Michigan, Asics also operates a research center in Hoofddorp in The Netherlands, its European outpost.
All of the facilities will combine their research in a constant collaborative effort to push toward new products, enhance existing styles and create new features and designs.
