Currently there is a high demand in the transportation industry for light-weighting the structural components, in order to reduce both energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal and Mg alloys are now used in a wide range of applications for structural, functional, and biomedical benefits. The Magnesium Research Center (MRC) at Kumamoto University, established in December 2011, has been engaged in and dedicated to a variety of Mg-related research areas. They include alloy and process design, physical metallurgy fundamentals, mechanical metallurgy, corrosion, surface treatment, and recycling. MRC has developed KUMADAI Mg alloys - a new generation of Mg alloys that have an excellent balance of mechanical performance, non-flammability, and corrosion resistance. MRC has three key goals: 1) to provide state-of-the-art research and education, 2) to help the maturation and insertion of KUMADAI Mg alloys into actual applications, and 3) to establish a global research network to significantly enhance collaboration with universities, research institutes, and industries.