Cognizant and Benchling Selected as Partners to Accelerate Kyowa Kirin's R&D
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) has been selected to support the introduction and implementation of Benchling, an AI-driven R&D platform, at Kyowa Kirin's Tokyo and Fuji Research Parks in Japan.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) has been selected to support the introduction and implementation of Benchling, an AI-driven R&D platform, at Kyowa Kirin's Tokyo and Fuji Research Parks in Japan. According to Cognizant, Benchling will centralize experiment planning, execution, data collection and AI use within a single environment.
Cognizant is expected to provide end-to-end services, including platform setup, data migration, system implementation and ongoing maintenance. Kyowa Kirin aims to improve R&D productivity, automate experimental design and data capture, enhance collaboration, and shift to more flexible operating-expense-based cost management under a single contract structure.
Details
News Market Reaction – CTSH
On Aug 17, the first trading day after this news, CTSH closed 3.70% below the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Aug 17 session.
Key Figures
- Announcement date
- Aug. 16, 2026
- Article dateline
- Research facilities
- 3 facilities
- Kyowa Kirin facilities worldwide
Historical Context
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Revenue growth, margin expansion and full-year guidance accompanied the earnings release.
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Cognizant launched an EMEA organization focused on scaling agentic AI adoption.
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The five-year agreement covered technology modernization, data unification and responsible AI adoption.
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Cognizant expanded its Anthropic partnership and embedded Claude across industry platforms.
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The Gulf Edge agreement targeted AI adoption across Thailand and multiple industry sectors.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
molecular design medical
hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Transforming the Research Lifecycle Through Integrated Data Management, Advanced Automation, and AI-Driven Workflows
Benchling gives scientists a single place to capture structured data, run AI models and agents and automate the workflows that move discovery and development forward. Through Cognizant's implementation support, researchers in the Research Division of Kyowa Kirin will be able to efficiently and seamlessly conduct a range of research activities, from experiment planning and execution to data collection and use of AI, within a single environment. This implementation demonstrates Kyowa Kirin's strong commitment to accelerating R&D productivity by addressing an expanding pipeline and increasingly advanced and diverse research needs. Cognizant will support this effort through centralized data management, enhanced molecular design processes and workflow automation.
Kyowa Kirin is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with strengths in specific disease areas, including bone and mineral disorders, intractable hematologic diseases and hemato oncology and rare diseases. At its three research facilities worldwide, the company is pursuing innovative modalities such as advanced antibody technologies and hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. By integrating "disease science" with "drug discovery technologies" that identify optimal solutions based on scientific insights, Kyowa Kirin is accelerating the creation of life-changing value.
To further advance these initiatives, the company needed a platform that could support cutting-edge scientific research through automation and AI, together with an experienced implementation partner to deploy, operate and manage it at scale.
With this implementation, Benchling is expected to help automate experimental design and data collection, accelerating the research cycle from drug discovery target identification through to new drug candidate selection. Benchling connects directly with Kyowa Kirin's laboratory instruments, enabling data to be captured automatically as structured, searchable records without manual entry. Benchling also supports collaboration across the research process and provides Kyowa Kirin's researchers with agentic and analytical capabilities that understand scientific context. In addition, the AI platform is expected to help researchers conduct molecular design, access years of experimental history, generate reports and analyze relationships across research activities more efficiently.
In collaboration with Benchling, Cognizant is expected to provide end-to-end support across the entire process, from platform setup to data migration, system implementation and ongoing maintenance following deployment. In addition, by optimizing data flows in line with the expansion of research scale, Cognizant is expected to help improve researcher productivity and support more informed decision-making. By providing products and services under a single contract, Kyowa Kirin aims to enhance cost predictability while reducing large capital expenditures and enabling flexible cost management as operating expenses.
"Through the implementation of Benchling under the partnership with Cognizant, we expect to promote the standardization of workflows and the structuring of data in research environments," said Takashi Shimada, Head of Research Division, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. "By enhancing the entire research process, we aim to establish a next-generation drug discovery foundation capable of continuously creating innovative new medicines."
"Kyowa Kirin is transforming its research processes to address some of the most difficult challenges in healthcare and to deliver innovative new medicines to patients as quickly as possible," said Sajith Wickramasekara, co-founder and CEO, Benchling. "Benchling embeds AI into daily workflows, connected to years of accumulated experimental data and context. In biopharma research and development, the speed and quality of research cycles have a direct impact on patients. AI only becomes meaningful when it proves its value in these real-world settings."
"Our partnership with Kyowa Kirin in implementing Benchling will help redefine the company's pursuit of scientific excellence, drug discovery research and laboratory operations and establish a new benchmark for business engagement," said Archana Ramanakumar, Industry Solutions Leader and Senior Vice President, Cognizant. "We are confident that this innovative and future-oriented collaboration will create a solid success story."
"Kyowa Kirin is revolutionizing its research processes through the implementation of Benchling and collaboration with Cognizant," said Nobuhiko Watanabe, President and Representative Director, Cognizant Japan. "This initiative is expected to significantly improve drug discovery efficiency and further strengthen the company's position in the Japanese market."
About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH), as an AI builder and technology services provider, bridges the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for clients. Leveraging our deep expertise in industries, business processes, and engineering, we embed each organization's unique business environment into technology systems. In doing so, we help unlock human potential, deliver tangible results, and enable global enterprises to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. For more information, please visit www.cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
About Benchling
Benchling is the leading AI platform for biotech R&D, unifying scientific data and automating workflows to accelerate discovery and development. Trusted by more than 1,300 companies worldwide, from pioneering startups to global leaders like Merck, Moderna and Sanofi, Benchling gives scientists a single place to capture, connect and act on data across the entire R&D lifecycle. With Benchling AI, agents and models work directly inside scientific workflows, grounded in structured data. The result is faster teams, better molecules and breakthroughs that reach the world sooner. https://www.benchling.com/
About Kyowa Kirin
Kyowa Kirin is deeply committed to creating and delivering new medicines and treatments with life-changing value to patients. As a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, Kyowa Kirin has contributed to the creation of medicines and innovation in biotechnology for more than 70 years. Today, the company is working to develop next-generation antibody drugs and gene and cell therapies that have the potential to address significant unmet medical needs. In particular, Kyowa Kirin focuses on research and development of treatments for bone and mineral disorders, hemato oncology and intractable hematologic diseases and rare diseases, while seeking to maximize the value of research outcomes that may be applied in other therapeutic areas through partnerships. Guided by shared values, Kyowa Kirin is committed to achieving sustainable growth and bringing smiles to people's lives.
https://www.kyowakirin.com/index.html
Media contacts
U.S.
Name: Alex Dudley
Email: alex.dudley@cognizant.com
Europe / APAC
Name: Sarah Douglas
Email: sarah.douglas@cognizant.com
India
Name: Vipin Nair
Email: Vipin.Nair@cognizant.com
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SOURCE Cognizant Technology Solutions
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