On the Dash:
- Honda Research Institute USA is investing $2.6 million in a new Advanced Materials Science Lab at Ohio State’s SciTech Campus.
- The lab will focus on hydrogen fuel cells, quantum technologies, and next-generation EV battery research.
- The investment strengthens Honda’s long-standing Ohio partnership and supports its broader push toward electrification.
Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. (HRI-US) will invest $2.6 million to expand its advanced research operations in Ohio, establishing a new Advanced Materials Science Lab at The Ohio State University’s SciTech Campus in Columbus. The facility, scheduled to open in late 2025, will strengthen Honda’s partnership with Ohio State and expand research in next-generation mobility technologies.
The new lab will focus on several key areas of innovation, including quantum and nanotechnologies, hydrogen fuel cells, carbon capture, and next-generation electric vehicle (EV) batteries and recycling. The investment is part of Honda’s broader effort to advance sustainable technologies and accelerate innovation in power systems and materials science.
HRI-US, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, collaborates with academic and industry partners to drive innovation for Honda’s global technology roadmap. The expansion marks another step in Honda’s long-standing partnership with Ohio State, which began in 1987 with a $6 million endowment that has since grown to more than $50 million supporting the university’s College of Engineering.
Honda’s presence at the SciTech Campus already includes 99P Labs, a collaborative research hub launched in 2018 that explores energy and battery technologies, mobility software, and human-computer interaction. Students at Ohio State gain hands-on experience at the lab, contributing to Honda’s ongoing work in software-defined mobility and advanced prototyping.
The new investment builds on Honda’s broader Ohio footprint, where it operates five manufacturing facilities employing more than 12,000 associates and representing a total capital investment of $13 billion. Recent initiatives include Honda’s $15 million contribution to The Ohio State Battery Cell R&D Center and its $3.5 billion joint venture with LG Energy Solution to produce EV batteries in Fayette County, Ohio.
