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Duracell has opened a new Global Innovation Center for Research and Development at Science Square Labs in Atlanta. The facility represents a $56 million investment and spans 83,000 square feet. It is expected to create 120 jobs and will serve as the central anchor for the company's global battery technology innovation network. Located adjacent to Georgia Tech, the centre will unite scientists, engineers, and cross-functional teams to accelerate battery innovation from concept to commercialisation. The facility connects Duracell's LaGrange manufacturing plant and Fairburn distribution centre into a cohesive state network. Duracell was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2016 and is a leading primary battery manufacturer in North America.

Duracell opens new $56 million Global Innovation Center for Research and Development in Atlanta's Science Square. State-of-the-Art Innovation Hub Creates 120 Jobs and Anchors Duracell's Presence in Georgia Published on 10/06/2026 at 04:48 pm EDT Business Wire Duracell, one of the world's leading battery manufacturers, today officially opened its new Global Innovation Center for Research and Development at Science Square Labs in Atlanta. Representing an investment of $56 million, the 83,000-square-foot facility is expected to create 120 jobs and serve as the central anchor for the company's global battery technology innovation network. (Left to Right) Karen Iveson (Duracell), Jessica Curyto, Sydne Smith, Liben Hailu (Chief Technical Officer, Duracell), Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Roberto Mendez (Chief Executive Officer, Duracell), Ray Iveson (Duracell), Donnie Beamer (Senior Technology Advisor), Laurie Prickett Representatives from the State of Georgia, the City of Atlanta and Georgia Tech joined Duracell at Science Square this morning for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening. The ceremony highlighted a shared vision for economic growth, local talent recruitment, and statewide technological advancement. "Georgia has been a vital home for Duracell for decades, and expanding our footprint into Science Square was a natural next step in that partnership," said Roberto Mendez, Chief Executive Officer at Duracell. "By positioning our teams within a thriving innovation ecosystem, we are giving our world-class R+D organization the platform, technology and collaborative environment they need to power the future." Adjacent to Georgia Tech at 101 Nerem Street NW, the new facility unites scientists, engineers, and cross-functional teams to accelerate battery innovation from concept to commercialization. Positioned on Atlanta's West Midtown, the center bridges academic talent with corporate R&D, directly linking Duracell's LaGrange manufacturing plant and Fairburn distribution center into a cohesive end-to-end state network. "The strategic placement of our new facility allows us to tap into a rich pipeline of diverse talent coming from Georgia Tech and neighboring research institutions," said Liben Hailu, Chief Technology Officer at Duracell. "We look forward to welcoming the next generation of scientists and engineers to the Duracell team as we push the boundaries of energy technology right here in Atlanta." Duracell's new global research and development headquarters was developed by Trammell Crow Company in partnership with Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures, an affiliate of Georgia Tech. Partners Real Estate represented Duracell in the transaction, while CBRE represented Trammell Crow Company. The complex tenant fit-out was executed by a specialized design and construction team including Perkins&Will, AHA Consulting Engineers, Walter P Moore and Brasfield & Gorrie. "An R&D lab build-out of this scale touches nearly every system in a building and requires every one of them to be exactly right," said Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President and Division Manager Scott Cooper. "From specialized dry room systems to relocating hundreds of pieces of owner-furnished equipment across floors, the complexity was real. This kind of space directly supports Duracell's work in Atlanta and beyond, and we're glad our team could deliver that for them." About Duracell: Started in the 1920s, the Duracell brand and company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE-BRK.A, BRK.B) in 2016 and has grown to be the leader in the primary battery market in North America. The iconic Duracell brand is known the world over. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them, and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. Visit www.duracell.com for more information. About Science Square: Science Square is an 18-acre, multi-phase mixed-use innovation district adjacent to Georgia Tech's Midtown Atlanta campus. The district is planned to include approximately 1.8 million square feet of lab and office space, 500 residential units and 25,000 square feet of retail. Science Square Labs, the district's first-phase research building, offers approximately 364,000 rentable square feet of purpose-built lab and creative office space. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006763148/en/ (C) Business Wire - 2026

Duracell is powering battery innovation at new $56M Atlanta facility. The battery-maker opens a global research and development headquarters at Georgia Tech's Science Square. Billions of copper-top batteries are already assembled in Georgia. But now the ingenuity that powers those cells will flow from an innovation center near Georgia Tech. Duracell, one of the world's largest battery manufacturers, has opened a $56 million global research and development headquarters at Science Square, Tech's life sciences district along North Avenue. The facility spans 83,000 square feet and will employ 120 workers. Inside, there are high-tech laboratories where researchers develop and test new battery solutions, with the goal of accelerating innovation from concept to commercialization. "When you bring engineers and scientists together under one roof in the same place, ideas move very quickly and also breakthrough technologies evolve sooner," Liben Hailu, Duracell's chief technology officer, said during an event Tuesday with guests including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. ,dlrow htiw erehw emoclew eht eht eht ecaps .enilyks hsop soitap gnikoolrevo roodtuo fo wen hsul noitavonni sedulcni ni seuh buh gnirehtag morf sevitucexe detaroced sremotsuc reppoc ynapmoc nac kcalb dnuora dna dna osla a s'llecaruD atnaltA elcihev ot eht taht egarots rehto fo erutcafunam tsil tnemtsevni ni gniworg ygrene cirtcele .secived seinapmoc seirettab dna sdda s'etatS hcaeP s'llecaruD atnaltA ,raey erehw ot ot ot eht naht ylppus ecnis .dias detacoler stcudorp ecneserp detarepo no erom .tekram gnirutcafunam gnol sti sti ti ni ni sah morf ytilicaf ytilicaf sevitucexe hguone hcae ynapmoc ezilatipac noillib seirettab selbmessa dna a .S.U ehT D;pma&R egnarGaL ,aigroeG llecaruD ,tucitcennoC ,lehteB atnaltA AAA AA 2 ,0891 hcihw erehw detuot ot ecnis ytimixorp detarepo gnirutcafunam sekam sniatniam regral sti ti ni ni sah ytilicaf sevitucexe noitubirtsid retnec .seirettab rehtona dna osla a ,eessenneT ,nrubriaF llecaruD llecaruD D ,dnalevelC C dnA .0202 htiw taht egnar .stcudorp secudorp rewop rehto fo muihtil gniraeh yadyreve ,secived pot-reppoc nioc ,seirettab seirettab seirettab dna gnola dia a llecaruD dlrow erehw dlot ot rellams yrassecen erom si .weivretni noitavonni ni ni teg ,ygrene cinortcele secived dnamed eunitnoc dna na a ehT otreboR zedneM noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ llecaruD tnatsnoC OEC atnaltA er'eW" I" dlrow dlrow er'ew ot ,sgniht eseht eht eht eht eht eht ygolonhcet .dias s'elpoep ecap ylno eno fo fo fo fo ton tsom gnikam sevil noitavonni ni ni ",sdoog cimanyd secived looc remusnoc redisnoc tub ssenisub ".retteb eb yrettab dna dna lla yllautca zedneM tcejorP" saw rednu eht deduorhs ,ycerces decnerefer slaiciffo eman ni buh tsrif cimonoce tnempoleved edoc yb ta ".xineohP s'llecaruD atnaltA desolcsidnu yrt ot ot ot eht eht xat ytreporp fo ylraen rerutcafunam erul sti noitavonni rof retnec kaerb yrettab .aera devorppa na a nI notluF tnempoleveD ytnuoC ytirohtuA ,4202 000,078$ ,raey saw ot eht eht delaever .cilbup tcejorp tsaL sihT" erehw eht eht ygolonhcet dias hcraeser yllaer tcejorp fo ",teem gnirutcafunam dnik si si noitanigami teg deticxe .tneve ,gnireenigne ,yrtsimehc esuaceb ta dna dna lla tuoba yadseuT I snekciD ydobemoS" uoy tahw ot ot ot ot eht eht eht s'taht taht gnitset gnivlos noitulos ",elacs .dias smelborp ,ecnamrofrep tuo wen ralucelom ,slairetam erutcafunam ekam ,regnol regnol regnol level tsal gnivorpmi woh eh sah syug erugif od gniunitnoc eunitnoc yb yrettab ta ta dna dna dna dna retirw ot siht .troper detubirtnoc yrahcaZ ffatS nesnaH Amy Wenk is the consumer brands reporter for the AJC. More stories. The Latest