Tokyo-based Hitachi is planning to launch a new innovation center at its North American headquarters later this year, focused on harnessing artificial intelligence to create cutting edge imaging technology.
Located in Twinsburg, Ohio, the Hitachi Healthcare Innovation Center of Excellence will create 40 new jobs in science and engineering. Hitachi said the new hub will allow closer collaboration with imaging industry thought leaders in the region.
The company currently sells and supports medical imaging devices—including CT, MRI and ultrasound. Officials announced plans to sell Hitachi’s healthcare division to Fujifilm in December for $1.6 billion. However, that will not impact operations in Northeast Ohio, according a company announcement.
“Hitachi Healthcare’s new [research and development] Center will be its first in North America and builds on Cleveland’s global reputation as a medical imaging hub,” J.P. Nauseef, president and chief investment officer of Jobs Ohio, a nonprofit aimed at driving employment growth in the state, said in a statement. “This R&D investment further demonstrates Hitachi Healthcare’s commitment to design and build the next generation of medical devices, software and solutions,” he added.
Jobs Ohio is giving Hitachi a research and development grant to encourage creation of the new center. Company officials said they’ll use those dollars to prototype new equipment, software platforms and make upgrades to the Twinsburg facility.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.