Asics announced the establishment of the Asics Institute of Sport Science Europe (ISS Europe), a new research and development function, to “further strengthen its research and development capabilities in Europe.”
Established within Asics Europe B.V., ISS Europe will contribute locally to Asics’ global R&D efforts by collaborating with European partners, in close alignment with the Asics Institute of Sport Science in Japan.
As part of this initiative, Asics has also entered a strategic partnership with HumanFab, a sports research and expertise center, to enhance its athlete testing and innovation capabilities in the region, with an initial focus on tennis performance.
Asics said the European venture follows the establishment of Asics Institute of Sport Science America LLC at the end of last year and represents a “significant step” in the company’s ongoing efforts to expand and strengthen its global R&D network.
This partnership gives Asics access to HumanFab’s facilities, including the firm’s advanced indoor tennis court labs, which enable full-scale motion analysis on a regulation-size court. Asics said, “This allows researchers to capture critical performance data such as ball spin and speed with a level of precision that complements and extends the work of the Asics Institute of Sport Science in Kobe. The result is deeper insights into elite athlete performance, enabling the future development of next-generation tennis products.”
“We are incredibly passionate about physiology and biomechanics,” said Dr. Jean-Bernard Fabre, CEO and founder of HumanFab. “Together with my team of scientists, we are proud to be working with Asics, who will utilize the cutting-edge technology at our research center to advance the development of future tennis products.”
Asics said Europe is one of its’ key growth markets and home to many of its contracted professional athletes. A dedicated research presence in the region “will help Asics better engage directly with these athletes, enabling richer data acquisition and more responsive product development.”
“We are greatly honored to have established this partnership with HumanFab,” said Mitsuyuki Tominaga, president and COO of Asics. “Throughout our history, Asics has upheld its founding philosophy of ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ — ‘A Sound Mind in a Sound Body’ — and has been committed to delivering cutting-edge products that support athletes’ performance and well-being. By establishing a testing environment in Europe, we will be able to leverage advanced technologies and integrate real-time athlete data into our research and development activities. This facility will further accelerate our development cycle and help athletes achieve their highest levels of performance and feel.”
Image courtesy Asics (Mitsuyuki Tominaga, president and COO of Asics, shown left, with Dr. Jean-Bernard Fabre, CEO and founder of HumanFab, at right.)
