Cellares to Build Asia's First Automated CAR-T Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Japan
Key Insights
Cellares (search) has awarded Turner & Townsend (search) and Hitachi Plant Services (search) the contract to build Asia's first automated cell therapy manufacturing facility in Kashiwa City, Japan, with construction beginning November 2025 and operations starting in 2027.
The 16,000 square meter Cellares (search) Smart Factory – Asia will house over 30 Cell Shuttle units capable of serving up to 75,000 patients annually while producing ten times more personalized CAR-T therapy doses than conventional facilities.
The automated facility is projected to cut operational costs and cleanroom space requirements in half while dramatically expanding access to CAR-T therapies across Asia and reducing manufacturing bottlenecks.
Cellares (search), a biotech company specializing in commercial-scale production of next-generation cancer therapies, has awarded a major construction contract to Turner & Townsend (search) and Hitachi Plant Services (search) for its first Asian cell therapy manufacturing facility. The Cellares Smart Factory – Asia will be located within Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwanoha 2 in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, marking a significant milestone for automated CAR-T cell therapy production in the region.
Strategic Location and Timeline
Construction of the facility is scheduled to break ground in November 2025, with operations expected to begin in 2027. The factory's location in Kashiwa City is strategically chosen, as the northwest area features Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, designated by the Cabinet Office as one of eight bio-innovation hubs under the Greater Tokyo BioCommunity initiative.
The 16,000 square meter facility will span four stories above ground and include dedicated areas for cell therapy manufacturing, quality control, supply management, administration, and mechanical systems.
Advanced Automation Technology
The facility will leverage Cellares (search)' proprietary automated systems, Cell Shuttle and Cell Q, which streamline both manufacturing and quality control of cell therapy products. More than 30 Cell Shuttle units will be installed, enabling the facility to provide life-saving treatments to up to 75,000 patients annually.
According to the project specifications, the facility will produce approximately ten times more personalized doses than conventionally staffed contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) at the same scale. Operational costs and cleanroom space requirements are projected to be cut in half through automation.
Impact on CAR-T Therapy Access
The facility will serve as a hub for developing and producing CAR-T cell therapies, described as "living drugs" of the 21st century. CAR-T therapies involve a complex vein-to-vein process, referring to the entire timeline from initial collection of a patient's T-cells to reinfusion of the engineered product.
The Japanese facility will help simplify logistics, particularly for cold-chain handling, and enable faster vein-to-vein timelines for patients across Asia. At full scale, the factory could dramatically expand access to CAR-T therapies throughout the region while helping to drive down costs and reduce manufacturing bottlenecks.
Industry Collaboration
Turner & Townsend (search) will contribute construction and project management expertise, while Hitachi Plant Services (search) will provide advanced facility engineering capabilities. The collaboration aims to build infrastructure supporting Cellares (search)' automated systems for streamlined cell therapy production.
"As the first facility of its kind in Asia, the Cellares (search) Smart Factory will enable life-saving treatments and we're proud to play a role in making that difference," said Kajiura Hisanao, Managing Director, Japan at Turner & Townsend (search). "Our experience of working across major life sciences projects and programmes equips us with an in-depth understanding of this fast-paced sector's unique requirements."
The automation technology will also enable faster technology transfer between Cellares (search)' global production sites, increasing flexibility and speed in manufacturing operations. This represents a significant advancement in the commercial-scale production of personalized cancer therapies across the Asian market.