The Nike Sport Research Lab is a research and development institute located in Beaverton in the U.S. state of Oregon.Opened in 1980, the lab is owned by American apparel and footwear maker Nike.he first Nike lab opened in 1980 in Exeter, New Hampshire. The 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m 2) Sport Research Lab is located in the Mia Hamm building at the company's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.