Panasonic Opens Global Osaka Battery R&D Hub

Panasonic Energy has opened Energy Innovation Square, a lithium-ion battery research and development hub in Kadoma, Osaka, combining material development, cell design and prototype testing. About 500 employees will work there alongside 300 manufacturing engineers at the nearby Suminoe Production Development Facility, creating an approximately 800-person battery development cluster. By fiscal 2031, Panasonic aims to double development efficiency from fiscal 2024 levels and cut development lead times, including transportation, by more than 15 percent. The company is integrating computer simulations with physical-test data to accelerate the transition from new cell designs to mass production. Technologies developed in Osaka will support Panasonic’s manufacturing network in Japan and its U.S. plants in Nevada and Kansas, serving growing demand for higher-performance batteries in electric vehicles and data centers as the company competes with Chinese battery leaders.