January 21, 2020 — Hitachi Healthcare Americas announced that it will create a new dedicated research and development facility within its North American headquarters facility in Twinsburg, Ohio. The move will result in the creation of approximately 40 new jobs, adding to the nearly 200 currently employed at the Twinsburg facility. Set to open this year, the Hitachi Healthcare Innovation Center of Excellence will leverage advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning to bring about a new generation of imaging technology.
“Being in the heart of a healthcare mecca with such prestigious facilities and educational institutions is the perfect location for us to develop innovative technologies and leverage the local knowledge and talent in Northeastern Ohio,” said Yasuhiko Taniguchi, CEO for Hitachi Healthcare Americas.
Hitachi Healthcare Americas currently sells and supports medical imaging devices – including MRI, CT and ultrasound – at its Northeast Ohio facility. The creation of the R&D center will allow the Hitachi team to expand its scientific and engineering teams and more closely collaborate with industry key opinion leaders. When it opens, the facility will be Hitachi Healthcare Americas’ only healthcare R&D facility outside of Japan. In December, Hitachi Healthcare Americas announced that its healthcare division would be transferred to FUJIFILM later this year, but that move is not expected to impact the company’s presence in Northeast Ohio.
BioEnterprise, the nonprofit accelerator that works to build Cleveland’s healthcare industry, collaborated with partners JobsOhio and Team NEO to help encourage Hitachi’s further investment in Northeast Ohio, which is already a national leader in medical imaging.
“Medical imaging has been a sector of strength for Northeast Ohio’s healthcare economy for many decades, and Hitachi Healthcare Americas’ expanded presence in this region builds on that legacy,” said Aram Nerpouni, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. “This legacy includes fundamental discoveries at Case Western Reserve University, applied patient innovations at our world-class healthcare institutions and industry leadership at dozens of imaging startups and corporate partners.”
Recognizing the value and impact of the new Innovation Center of Excellence, JobsOhio awarded Hitachi Healthcare Americas a Research & Development Grant that the company will spend on new prototyping equipment, software platforms and facility upgrades. Over the last 18 months, JobsOhio – in coordination with BioEnterprise and Team NEO – facilitated projects that attracted nearly 700 new jobs in Northeast Ohio, totaling close to $44 million in new payroll and $55 million in new capital expenditures committed.
“Hitachi Healthcare’s new R&D Center will be its first in North America and builds on Cleveland’s global reputation as a medical imaging hub,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and chief investment officer. “This R&D investment further demonstrates Hitachi Healthcare’s commitment to design and build the next generation of medical devices, software and solutions to help improve the quality of care in Northeast Ohio.”
In 2016, JobsOhio launched its Research and Development Grant Program as a way to make strategic investments in new corporate centers established in Ohio and support the development and commercialization of emerging technologies.
“Our region’s talented and skilled workforce, coupled with our track record of driving innovative advances like the Internet of Things and additive manufacturing, makes Northeast Ohio an ideal location for companies like Hitachi Healthcare Americas to locate their R&D Center,” added Team NEO CEO Bill Koehler.
For more information: www.hitachihealthcare.com
May 02, 2024 
