Canon Healthcare USA has bought itself a U.S. headquarters, the former IBM-Explorys building, minutes from Case Quad. From Cedar Road and East 105th Street, the technology giant plans to lay the foundation for an expanding presence in the American medical industry.

A Case alumnus played a prominent role in luring the HQ and its jobs.

Canon Healthcare, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Canon, Inc., designs and manufactures advanced medical imaging systems. In 2019, Canon bought a controlling interest in Quality Electrodynamics, a Cleveland-area maker of MRI components that exports worldwide. QED was founded by its CEO, Hiroyuki Fujita, MS ’98, PhD ’98, who began developing its technology while a student on Case Quad. After the sale, Canon announced the creation of Canon Healthcare USA with Fujita as chairman. In February, the company said it had purchased the empty 43,000 square-foot building, across from Cleveland Clinic, in the emerging Cleve-land Innovation District. It detailed plans to invest $33.65 million to buy and shape a state-of-the-art imaging and research center. Plans call for a workforce of about 50 people initially.

In an earlier statement, Fujita said Canon Healthcare intends to grow by tapping the research expertise of Ohio universities, including CWRU.