The Ohio State University was joined by Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, congressional leaders, Honda, Schaeffler Americas and JobsOhio officials Monday to announce the creation of a new battery cell research and development center.

Slated to open in April 2025, the lab will accelerate the domestic development of battery cell materials and manufacturing technologies while providing an experiential learning setting for advanced battery technology workforce development.

With $22 million in commitments to date, this project will include the renovation of a 25,000-square-foot facility in Ohio State’s innovation district into a dedicated battery cell research, production and education support space. The center will be managed and operated at Ohio State by the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research (IMR).

Honda will serve as lead foundational partner for the project and has committed $15 million for the research and development center. The project was also endorsed by the State of Ohio and JobsOhio.

The completed project will also create a hub for academic and industry connections across chemical and physical sciences, engineering, business and policy. Once completed, the project will create a strong pipeline of industry talent while also attracting electric vehicle battery manufacturing and supply chain businesses to help support the evolving vision for the industry.

Schaeffler is developing the next generation of all solid-state battery technology to support the automotive industry’s transition to electric mobility. Our strategic partnership with The Ohio State University provides a hands-on and collaborative approach with the goal of providing industry-leading and scalable solutions that will position Ohio at the center of battery technology.

—Jeff Hemphill, chief technology officer of Schaeffler Americas