Honda invests $2.6 million to expand research at Ohio State
Honda is deepening its Ohio presence with a new Advanced Materials Science Lab at The Ohio State University’s SciTech Campus—part of a $2.6 million investment supported by a $500,000 JobsOhio R&D grant. The facility, set to open in late 2025, will focus on next-generation materials and technologies powering the future of mobility.
Researchers will explore quantum computing, hydrogen fuel cells, carbon capture, and EV batteries, expanding Honda’s innovation pipeline while embedding the company more deeply into Ohio’s growing research ecosystem.
“Honda’s continued confidence in Ohio demonstrates how this is the most competitive and innovative state for the future of automotive and advanced mobility,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said of the announcement.
Honda’s Ohio legacy of innovation
Honda’s roots in Ohio run deep. Nearly 50 years after the company’s first Marysville plant opened, Honda now employs more than 12,000 associates across five facilities and continues to invest heavily in its next chapter.
That includes a $3.5 billion EV battery joint venture with LG Energy Solution in Fayette County and a $1 billion retooling project to create the Honda EV Hub—allowing hybrid, electric, and internal combustion models to be built on the same production line.
The details
Investment: $2.6 million total project value; $500,000 JobsOhio R&D grant.
Opening: Scheduled for Q4 2025.
Focus areas: Quantum computing, hydrogen fuel cells, carbon capture, and EV battery technologies.
Location: On The Ohio State University’s SciTech Campus, fostering direct collaboration with researchers and students.
Why it matters for Ohio
This move reinforces Ohio’s distinct role in the global mobility landscape. While other states compete to attract assembly plants, Ohio is building the full innovation stack—from materials research and propulsion design to testing, manufacturing, and workforce training.
The state’s three-propulsion advantage—electric, hybrid, and internal combustion—gives it unmatched versatility as automakers navigate the transition to electrification. Combined with world-class assets like NASA Glenn Research Center, the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, and 70+ higher education institutions, Ohio offers an end-to-end platform for innovation.
“Ohio’s unique collaboration with universities, industry and government accelerates the Honda innovation that reaches markets worldwide,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.
The bottom line
Honda’s investment represents more than another lab opening—it’s a signal of where the auto industry, and Ohio, are heading. By pairing decades of production expertise with new research in clean energy and computing, the state is proving that the next generation of mobility will be imagined and engineered in Ohio.