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Transportation Research Center Inc. Breaks Ground on Advanced New Impact Laboratory with Help of $24 Million State Grant

Advanced new facility will enhance TRC’s continued leadership in the testing and development of lifesaving improvements in highway safety and passenger protection.

East Liberty, Ohio – Transportation Research Center Inc., North America’s most comprehensive automotive research organization, test center and proving ground, today broke ground on a new 66,000-square-foot Impact Laboratory. When completed, this new addition to TRC’s 4,500-acre research campus will replace the center’s existing Impact Lab, which over the years has made crucial, lifesaving contributions to advanced highway-safety technologies.

The new Impact Lab is made possible thanks to a $24 million economic development grant from the State of Ohio, included in recently passed Capital Budget (House Bill 2) to help the proving ground test the next generation of cars, trucks and buses, including electric and autonomous vehicles. Upgraded features in the new lab will include robotic cameras, sensors and other state-of-the art technology for testing vehicles in high-impact collision scenarios.  TRC anticipates it will take three years to complete the project, during which time the existing Impact Lab will continue to meet industry clients’ testing needs.

“This new and expanded Impact Lab will have a positive impact on the region and entire state, further enhancing the work happening at the site to develop highway safety technologies,” said Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who joined TRC employees, state officials and other dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony. “For more than a century, Ohio has been at the heart of transportation manufacturing, innovation and research. This outstanding facility will be another big step toward extending that legacy.”

Thanking the DeWine/Husted administration and legislators for the capital investment that makes this new Impact Lab possible, TRC President and CEO Brett Roubinek said: “TRC, with its best-in-class facilities and expertise, has been the go-to problem solver for the world’s leading automotive innovators. That reputation will surely be enhanced by our new Impact Lab and the work we will achieve here. It’s a giant step in our constant commitment to keep pace with what’s next in transportation technology.”

This major investment in TRC’s research capabilities comes at a time when the nonprofit, independent center is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since opening its proving grounds in 1974, TRC has attracted more than 1,000 clients from world-leading industries to Ohio and partnered with decision makers in every sector – government, industry, research, education – to drive innovation in automotive safety and performance. 

TRC’s East Liberty campus, with an expert team of 500 engineers and other specialists, operates around the clock to conduct tests in a variety of advanced research facilities.  In addition to the Impact Laboratory, key research facilities include closed-road courses, rural lanes, a 7.5-mile high-speed oval test track, and a 50-acre vehicle dynamics area. Most recently, TRC created its “SmartCenter,” a specialized testing complex for autonomous and connected vehicles. This new 540-acre facility, nearly two-thirds the size of New York’s Central Park, has already become a magnet for the world’s leading innovators, who come to Ohio to test and refine their transformational technologies.

Among TRC accomplishments have been its key roles in the development of automotive innovations such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, lane assist, adaptive cruise control – were all tested and refined at TRC before they appeared on American roadways.  Most recently, TRC has developed pioneering testing facilities for the development of autonomous driving technologies.