Kyowa Kirin modernizes with Cognizant and Benchling R&D with AI and automation. Last updated: August 17, 2026 12:53 pm Kyowa Kirin has chosen Cognizant and Benchling to support the rollout of Benchling's cloud-based R&D platform at its Tokyo Research Park and Fuji Research Park. The platform brings experimental planning, data collection, AI tools, and workflow automation into one place. Researchers can connect experimental equipment directly to Benchling, allowing data to be captured as structured and searchable records instead of being entered manually. That matters as Kyowa Kirin's research work becomes more complex and its pipeline expands. The company expects the platform to help speed up activities ranging from identifying drug targets to selecting new drug candidates. Researchers will also be able to search past experiments, generate reports, examine relationships between studies, and support molecular design using the platform's analytical and AI capabilities. Cognizant will handle the implementation using Benchling, including platform setup, data migration, deployment, and the ongoing upkeep too. This partnership shows where pharma research and development is headed, more or less, these days. More of the work around data handling and routine processes is being moved into connected digital systems, while AI is being brought closer to the research itself rather than treated as a separate tool. ITBT Staffwriter is an in-house contributor at IT Business Today, responsible for delivering timely News and QuickBytes. The author covers the latest developments across IT, tech, and enterprise solutions to keep readers informed with concise and impactful updates. August 17, 2026

Link Cell Therapies has emerged from stealth with $60 million in Series A funding led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, bringing total capital raised to $92 million. The South San Francisco–based oncology company is developing CAR-T therapies for solid and liquid tumours using proprietary logic-gating technology. The platform enables safe targeting of multiple antigens co-expressed on cancer cells whilst sparing healthy tissue. Co-founded by Dr Robbie Majzner and Dr Crystal Mackall at Stanford University in 2022, Link's lead programme, LNK001 for renal cell carcinoma, is on track for an IND application and Phase I trial in 2026. The Series A round included participation from founding investors Samsara BioCapital and Sheatree Capital, alongside new backers Bristol Myers Squibb, Kyowa Kirin and Wing Venture Capital.