Mitsubishi to Update Japan R&D Operations

Mitsubishi begins a major renovation of its R&D center in Okazaki, Japan, rebuilding the three main facilities – the office building, environmental-testing facility and wind tunnel.

The ¥33 billion ($296.6 million) project will see work on the office building and the environmental facility completed in the fall of 2018, with the wind tunnel ready at the beginning of 2020.

“Improvements in the work environment and the introduction of the latest equipment will strengthen the company's research and development capabilities, and MMC will move forward to revamp R&D structure for creating next-generation models,” the company says in a statement.

The rebuilt 8-story office building will have a cafeteria and a large conference hall with a capacity of 700. Its layout allows ease of movement between floors to facilitate cross-functional activities. Some 2,000 employees will be working in design, development, certification and testing.

The environmental-testing facility will allow engineers to conduct tests in conditions that range from extreme cold at – 40° F (- 40° C) – to extreme heat at 122° F (50° C) as well as under natural sunlight and in snow.

The new large-scale wind tunnel will be equipped with a moving belt that can simulate complex real-life driving situations and will be used to improve aerodynamic characteristics, environmental performance and noise levels.