HORIBA announces new global headquarters in Kyoto to drive strategic growth and clinical laboratory innovation
HORIBA, Ltd., the Kyoto-based precision instrumentation and measurement group, has announced plans to construct a new global headquarters on the site of its existing head office in Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Construction commenced in December 2025, with completion scheduled for January 2028 — the year the company marks its 75th anniversary.
The initiative, formally designated the “HORIBA World Headquarters Project,” combines the construction of the new facility with a broader realignment of the company’s domestic operational sites across the Kyoto–Shiga region. The total investment is approximately 37.0 billion yen, encompassing new construction, demolition of existing facilities, and renovation of certain buildings.
A new scale of operations
The current Kyoto head office was completed in March 1997. In the nearly three decades since, HORIBA Group’s net sales have grown approximately sevenfold, operating profit approximately fifteenfold, and the global workforce approximately fourfold. The new structure will be ten storeys above ground with one basement level, standing approximately 45 metres in height and offering a total floor space of 37,443 m² — roughly eleven times that of the present head office.
Under its medium- to long-term management plan, MLMAP 2028, HORIBA is targeting net sales of 500 billion yen, with the longer-term ambition of becoming a company with annual revenue of 1 trillion yen. The new headquarters is conceived as a physical and organisational foundation for achieving that trajectory.
Strategic hub and cross-functional integration
Central to the new building’s design is the establishment of a “Global Operation Floor” (provisional name), which will house a business strategy team composed of multinational personnel. This team is intended to serve as the group’s strategic hub and cross-functional enabler, connecting research and development, sales, and operational functions across HORIBA’s international subsidiaries —
including those serving the clinical laboratory, semiconductor, environmental monitoring, and automotive sectors.
Dan Horiba, Member of the Board of Directors and Project Leader for the HORIBA World Headquarters Project, commented: “The new global headquarters will maximise its role as the group’s strategic hub and cross-functional enabler by connecting our group operations, leading problem-solving, and driving innovation.”
The building will adopt an Activity Based Working model, with open-plan spaces linked by a central atrium and grand staircase to facilitate cross-departmental interaction. An executive-floor “Mini FUN HOUSE” (provisional name), modelled on an existing facility used for international management meetings in Shiga Prefecture, will further support HORIBA’s emphasis on inclusive internal communication across roles and nationalities.
Consolidation of domestic sites to sharpen focus
Beyond the new building itself, the project involves a significant restructuring of HORIBA’s Kyoto–Shiga operations. Planning, strategy, administrative, and sales functions from group companies — including HORIBA STEC Co., Ltd. (semiconductor instrumentation) and HORIBA Advanced Techno Co., Ltd. (water quality measurement) — will be consolidated into the new headquarters. Existing sites will subsequently be dedicated to development, manufacturing, and service functions, with the aim of improving operational efficiency across the group.
This realignment will affect several facilities, including the HORIBA BIWAKO E-HARBOR site in Shiga Prefecture and the Kyoto Fukuchiyama Factory, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. New co-creation areas for industry–academia–government collaboration are also planned as part of this restructuring.
Exhibition spaces and community engagement
The ground floor will feature a “HORIBA Museum” (provisional name), offering a structured account of the company’s history from its founding to the present. The second floor will house a “HORIBA Showcase” (provisional name), incorporating three-dimensional projection technologies to present the group’s products and global operations. A main hall with capacity for approximately 500 people is also planned, with consideration being given to making it available for external educational programmes, including STEAM initiatives, reflecting HORIBA’s stated aim of fostering closer ties with the local Kyoto community.
The completion of the headquarters in January 2028 will coincide with the conclusion of HORIBA’s current MLMAP planning cycle, positioning the new facility as both a symbolic and functional milestone in the company’s long-term development strategy.
For more information, visit: www.horiba.com
