Panasonic Energy has opened Energy Innovation Square, a lithium-ion battery research and development facility in Osaka, Japan, targeting next-generation batteries for automotive and data centre applications.
The site will function as a global centre for the company’s battery development and production work, spanning material development, cell design and prototyping.
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The new facility will operate alongside Panasonic Energy’s Suminoe Production Development Facility, also located in Osaka City.
Together, the two sites are designed to accelerate development timelines as electric vehicle makers push for batteries offering higher energy density and improved durability.
Technologies and manufacturing methods produced through this joint effort will be extended to Panasonic Energy’s manufacturing sites worldwide, including plants in Japan as well as Nevada and Kansas in the US.
According to the company, Energy Innovation Square will employ roughly 500 staff engaged in cell product planning, technology development and analysis.
Together with the Suminoe site, which is dedicated to manufacturing technology development, the two facilities will constitute one of Japan’s largestbattery development operations, employing around 800 people in total, the group said.
Panasonic Energy is targeting a doubling of development efficiency by the 2031 fiscal year (the fiscal year ending March 2031), relative to FY2024 levels, a goal it says will support quicker product development and a more responsive approach to rising electric vehicle demand.
By bringing together development and prototyping work that had previously been scattered across several sites, the company expects to lift operational efficiency, streamline workforce needs and reduce development lead times tied to transportation by over 15%.
The facility will also draw on a digital transformation platform built to combine simulation data with physical-test results.
Panasonic Energy CEO Kazuo Tadanobu said: “Energy Innovation Square will serve as a core hub for Panasonic Energy’s battery development, strengthening collaboration from next-generation product development through mass production and enhancing our global competitiveness.
“As battery markets and applications evolve, we will continue to respond swiftly and flexibly to customer needs, drawing on our technological expertise and experience. Through innovative battery technologies, we remain committed to contributing to a more sustainable society.”
