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Cognizant and Benchling Selected as Partners to Accelerate Kyowa Kirin's R&D

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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.

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Positive

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Negative

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Market Context

Cognizant's recent AI announcements included a 6.93% 24-hour reaction for news_id 1087494, while cur...
Analysis

Cognizant's recent AI announcements included a 6.93% 24-hour reaction for news_id 1087494, while current insider data showed Net Selling; the partnership therefore adds strategic context without disclosed financial terms.

Key Figures

Announcement date: Aug. 16, 2026 Research facilities: 3 facilities
2 metrics
Announcement date Aug. 16, 2026 Article dateline
Research facilities 3 facilities Kyowa Kirin facilities worldwide

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jul 29 (Positive)
Pattern 5 events
Date Event Sentiment 24h Move Catalyst
Jul 29 Q2 earnings report Positive +11.3% Revenue growth, margin expansion and full-year guidance accompanied the earnings release.
Jul 28 AI unit launch Positive +6.9% Cognizant launched an EMEA organization focused on scaling agentic AI adoption.
Jul 27 Enterprise partnership Positive +3.5% The five-year agreement covered technology modernization, data unification and responsible AI adoption.
Jul 27 AI partnership expansion Positive +3.5% Cognizant expanded its Anthropic partnership and embedded Claude across industry platforms.
Jul 23 AI services partnership Positive -0.4% 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.

Pattern Detected

The selected history showed positive 24-hour reactions for four events and a negative reaction for one.

Key Terms

molecular design, hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy
2 terms
molecular design medical
"the AI platform is expected to help researchers conduct molecular design"
Molecular design is the deliberate creation or modification of molecules to achieve specific properties or functions, often using chemistry, biology, and computer modeling to predict how changes at the atomic level will affect behavior. For investors, it matters because molecular design underpins drug candidates, materials, or chemical products that drive future revenues and regulatory milestones; think of it like tailoring a key so it fits a particular lock rather than trying every key at random.
hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy medical
"advanced antibody technologies and hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy"
A treatment that takes a person’s hematopoietic stem cells—the bone marrow cells that make blood and immune cells—modifies their DNA in the lab to fix or add a gene, and returns them to the body so they produce healthy cells over the long term. Think of it like changing the blueprint in a factory so future products are built differently. It matters to investors because it involves long development timelines, regulatory hurdles, manufacturing scale and potential for durable clinical benefit that can affect company value.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Transforming the Research Lifecycle Through Integrated Data Management, Advanced Automation, and AI-Driven Workflows

TOKYO, Aug. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) today announced that it will support the introduction and implementation of Benchling, the AI platform for R&D at Tokyo Research Park and Fuji Research Park, research sites in Japan operated by Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.

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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 

press@benchling.com 

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SOURCE Cognizant Technology Solutions

FAQ

What did Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) announce about its partnership with Kyowa Kirin on August 16, 2026?

Cognizant announced it will support implementing Benchling, an AI-driven R&D platform, at Kyowa Kirin’s Tokyo and Fuji Research Parks. According to Cognizant, this includes platform setup, data migration, system implementation and ongoing maintenance to help enhance Kyowa Kirin’s research productivity and workflows.

How will Benchling’s AI platform be used in Kyowa Kirin’s research operations supported by Cognizant (CTSH)?

Benchling will centralize experiment planning, execution, data collection and AI-driven analysis in one environment. According to Cognizant, it connects to laboratory instruments, captures structured searchable data automatically, supports molecular design, and enables researchers to access experimental history, generate reports and analyze relationships across research activities.

What role will Cognizant play in Kyowa Kirin’s Benchling deployment and ongoing R&D support?

Cognizant is expected to provide end-to-end support from platform setup through data migration, system implementation and post-deployment maintenance. According to Cognizant, it will also optimize data flows as research scale expands, helping improve researcher productivity and support more informed decision-making across Kyowa Kirin’s R&D operations.

How is the Cognizant–Benchling–Kyowa Kirin collaboration expected to impact R&D productivity?

The collaboration is expected to automate experimental design and data collection, speeding research cycles from target identification to candidate selection. According to Cognizant, centralized data management, workflow automation and AI capabilities aim to standardize workflows, structure research data and enhance overall drug discovery efficiency at Kyowa Kirin.

What cost management benefits does Kyowa Kirin expect from the Benchling implementation supported by Cognizant (CTSH)?

Kyowa Kirin expects improved cost predictability by receiving products and services under a single contract. According to Cognizant, this approach is intended to reduce large capital expenditures and enable more flexible cost management by treating platform-related spending primarily as operating expenses rather than major upfront investments.

Why did Kyowa Kirin choose an AI and automation platform like Benchling with Cognizant as implementation partner?

Kyowa Kirin needed a platform to support cutting-edge scientific research with automation and AI, plus an experienced partner for deployment at scale. According to Cognizant, Benchling and its services are expected to support advanced modalities and an expanding pipeline by integrating disease science with drug discovery technologies.