Panasonic Energy Opens Global Battery R&D Hub in Osaka to Speed Automotive and Data Center Development
Summary
Panasonic Energy has launched Energy Innovation Square, a lithium-ion battery R&D facility in Kadoma, Osaka, that will serve as a global hub for material development, cell design, and prototyping. Working with its Suminoe facility, the company aims to double development efficiency by FY2031 and accelerate next-generation batteries for EVs and AI data centers.
Panasonic Energy Launches New Global Battery R&D Hub in Japan to Accelerate Development and Production for Automotive and Data Center Applications
Osaka, Japan – September 16, 2026 – Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group Company, today announced the launch of Energy Innovation Square, a new lithium-ion battery research and development facility in Kadoma, Osaka.
The facility will serve as a global hub for Panasonic Energy’s battery development and production, with capabilities spanning material development, cell design and prototyping. In collaboration with the Suminoe Production Development Facility in Osaka City, Energy Innovation Square will help accelerate the development and mass production of next-generation batteries for automotive and data center applications. Technologies and manufacturing processes developed through this collaboration will be deployed across Panasonic Energy’s global manufacturing network, including its facilities in Japan and in Nevada and Kansas in the United States, helping strengthen production competitiveness and better serve customers worldwide.
Energy Innovation Square will bring together approximately 500 employees in cell product planning, technology development and analysis. Together with the Suminoe Production Development Facility, which focuses on manufacturing technology development, the two sites will form one of Japan’s largest dedicated battery development operations, with a combined workforce of approximately 800 people.*
Through close collaboration between the two sites, Panasonic Energy aims to double development efficiency by FY2031 (fiscal year ending March 2031), compared with FY2024, enabling faster product development and a more agile response to growing demand and increasingly diverse customer needs.
The Japanese government has described batteries as the “heart of industry,” underscoring their importance to energy and economic security. Demand for more advanced battery solutions is growing as electrification accelerates: EVs require higher energy density and greater durability, while the expansion of AI data centers is driving demand for higher-output batteries. Looking ahead, emerging applications such as drones, robotaxis and humanoid robots are expected to further broaden battery use.
As battery innovation becomes increasingly integral to the competitiveness of social infrastructure systems as a whole, demand is growing for high-quality, high-performance battery solutions. Panasonic Energy is enhancing its development capabilities to address these evolving requirements with speed, flexibility and technological expertise.
By consolidating development and prototyping processes that had previously been dispersed across multiple locations, Panasonic Energy expects to improve operational efficiency, optimize workforce requirements and shorten development lead times involving transportation by more than 15%. The facility is also supported by an enhanced digital transformation platform that enables advanced accumulation and integration of simulation and physical-test data.
Through continuous process monitoring and statistical analysis, Panasonic Energy will improve simulation accuracy and design maturity, significantly reducing the time required to introduce new products into mass production.
Kazuo Tadanobu, CEO of Panasonic Energy, 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.”
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Panasonic Energy Launches New Global Battery R&D Hub in Japan to Accelerate Development and Production for Automotive and Data Center Applications, source
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