Japan
CBRE Facilitates Cellares’ Establishment of Its First Regenerative Medicine Development and Manufacturing Facility in Asia
Supporting the realization of an innovative cell therapy facility within “Mitsui Link-Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 2”
September 5, 2025
TOKYO, September 5, 2025 - CBRE Japan, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, today announced that it has provided comprehensive support to Cellares Japan K.K. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), the Japanese subsidiary of the U.S.-based Cellares, in establishing a new cell therapy manufacturing facility. This facility will serve as the first Cellares Smart Factory in Asia, and is scheduled to commence operations in 2027.
The Cellares Smart Factory will produce 10 times more patient doses, while cutting operational cost and cleanroom requirements by half, through integration with automated platforms like the Cell Shuttle™ and Cell Q™. The four-story, steel-framed facility is currently under construction and will have a total floor area of approximately 16,791.43 square meters. It is expected to strengthen Japan’s domestic manufacturing and supply capabilities for cancer immunotherapies, including CAR-T.
CBRE has a proven track record of supporting Cellares in establishing regenerative medicine manufacturing sites across three continents. Leveraging this global experience and local market expertise, CBRE provided strategic office advisory services for the Japan project. This comprehensive support was delivered in close collaboration with Turner & Townsend K.K. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Managing Director: Hisanao Kajiura), a CBRE Group company specializing in project and cost management, ensuring a holistic and integrated approach.
During the office leasing phase, CBRE studied the supply of R&D and lab properties across Japan, competitor location trends, business continuity planning (BCP), talent acquisition strategies, and potential collaborations with academia and medical institutions. Based on this analysis, CBRE advised Cellares Japan in selecting Mitsui Fudosan as the optimal partner and location for the project. As Cellares’ exclusive advisor, CBRE also supported negotiations with the landlord, and facilitated a swift construction start aligned with the project timeline.
The Turner & Townsend team has been managing the entire project lifecycle - from design and construction to validation and handover - ensuring schedule, cost, and quality control. Their responsibilities include preparing design documents, supporting building permit applications, managing procurement of long-lead items, selecting and supervising contractors, ensuring site safety and quality, supporting equipment commissioning and validation, and coordinating with local authorities in Chiba Prefecture and Kashiwa City regarding subsidies.
Omar Kurdi, Co-Founder & President of Cellares, who led the project at Cellares Japan, commented, “Regenerative medicine holds great promise for treating serious illnesses such as cancer. However, manufacturing and logistical challenges have led to significant delays in patient access. Cellares is addressing these issues by building a global manufacturing network across Asia, the United States, and Europe. CBRE has been a key global partner in this mission. With the support of CBRE and Turner & Townsend, we have successfully initiated the establishment of our first Asian facility in Japan by 2027, despite an ambitious timeline.”
Yo Ushijima, Executive Director and Head of Office Advisory & Transaction Services from CBRE’s Office team, added, “We are honored to support Cellares in establishing its Asian regenerative medicine development and manufacturing hub. This facility is poised to solve critical issues such as drug loss and supply chain delays. CBRE provided a wide range of services, from office advisory to project management in collaboration with Turner & Townsend. We will leverage this experience to continue delivering socially impactful services in the life sciences sector.”
CBRE remains committed to supporting global life sciences companies entering the Japanese market, thereby contributing to the realization of cutting-edge research and manufacturing facilities that drive innovation and improve lives.
♦Project Overview
Cellares Smart Factory Asia Project
For general project inquiries:
Naruyuki Matsuura
Associate Director, Office, Advisory Services | Leasing, CBRE K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-80-9290-9987
Miki Hosogaya
Consultant, Office, Advisory Services | Leasing, CBRE K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-90-8561-6523
For project management inquiries:
Shinichi Horiuchi
Senior Project Manager, Turner & Townsend K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-70-3543-9179
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves clients through four business segments: Advisory (leasing, sales, debt origination, mortgage servicing, valuations); Building Operations & Experience (facilities management, property management, flex space & experience); Project Management (program management, project management, cost consulting); Real Estate Investments (investment management, development). Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
About Turner & Townsend
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 employees across more than 60 countries, providing consultancy services in the construction sector. The company partners with clients in real estate, infrastructure, energy, and natural resources to deliver large-scale programs and projects, specializing in cost and commercial management, net-zero strategies, and digital solutions across global markets. Turner & Townsend is majority-owned by CBRE Group, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm.
About Cellares
Cellares is the world’s first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and takes an Industry 4.0 approach to mass manufacturing the living drugs of the 21st century. The company has developed integrated technologies, the Cell Shuttle™ and Cell Q™, to automate the end-to-end manufacturing and quality control of cell therapy products. These technologies will be deployed in Cellares’ IDMO Smart Factories around the world to meet total patient demand for cell therapies at global scale. Partnering with Cellares enables academics, biotechs, and pharma companies to accelerate drug development and scale out manufacturing, lower process failure rates, lower manufacturing costs, and make life-saving treatment more accessible to patients. Cellares and Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $380M worldwide capacity reservation and supply agreement to bring the promise of cell therapy to more patients, faster. Cellares is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Cellares, please visit cellares.com or reach out directly to [email protected].
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The Cellares Smart Factory will produce 10 times more patient doses, while cutting operational cost and cleanroom requirements by half, through integration with automated platforms like the Cell Shuttle™ and Cell Q™. The four-story, steel-framed facility is currently under construction and will have a total floor area of approximately 16,791.43 square meters. It is expected to strengthen Japan’s domestic manufacturing and supply capabilities for cancer immunotherapies, including CAR-T.
CBRE has a proven track record of supporting Cellares in establishing regenerative medicine manufacturing sites across three continents. Leveraging this global experience and local market expertise, CBRE provided strategic office advisory services for the Japan project. This comprehensive support was delivered in close collaboration with Turner & Townsend K.K. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Managing Director: Hisanao Kajiura), a CBRE Group company specializing in project and cost management, ensuring a holistic and integrated approach.
During the office leasing phase, CBRE studied the supply of R&D and lab properties across Japan, competitor location trends, business continuity planning (BCP), talent acquisition strategies, and potential collaborations with academia and medical institutions. Based on this analysis, CBRE advised Cellares Japan in selecting Mitsui Fudosan as the optimal partner and location for the project. As Cellares’ exclusive advisor, CBRE also supported negotiations with the landlord, and facilitated a swift construction start aligned with the project timeline.
The Turner & Townsend team has been managing the entire project lifecycle - from design and construction to validation and handover - ensuring schedule, cost, and quality control. Their responsibilities include preparing design documents, supporting building permit applications, managing procurement of long-lead items, selecting and supervising contractors, ensuring site safety and quality, supporting equipment commissioning and validation, and coordinating with local authorities in Chiba Prefecture and Kashiwa City regarding subsidies.
Omar Kurdi, Co-Founder & President of Cellares, who led the project at Cellares Japan, commented, “Regenerative medicine holds great promise for treating serious illnesses such as cancer. However, manufacturing and logistical challenges have led to significant delays in patient access. Cellares is addressing these issues by building a global manufacturing network across Asia, the United States, and Europe. CBRE has been a key global partner in this mission. With the support of CBRE and Turner & Townsend, we have successfully initiated the establishment of our first Asian facility in Japan by 2027, despite an ambitious timeline.”
Yo Ushijima, Executive Director and Head of Office Advisory & Transaction Services from CBRE’s Office team, added, “We are honored to support Cellares in establishing its Asian regenerative medicine development and manufacturing hub. This facility is poised to solve critical issues such as drug loss and supply chain delays. CBRE provided a wide range of services, from office advisory to project management in collaboration with Turner & Townsend. We will leverage this experience to continue delivering socially impactful services in the life sciences sector.”
CBRE remains committed to supporting global life sciences companies entering the Japanese market, thereby contributing to the realization of cutting-edge research and manufacturing facilities that drive innovation and improve lives.
♦Project Overview
Cellares Smart Factory Asia Project
| Facility Name | Cellares Smart Factory Asia |
| Client | Cellares Japan K.K. |
| Location | Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Construction Start | November 2024 |
| Planned Opening |
2027 |
| Total floor area |
Approximately 16,791.43 square meters |
| CBRE's Role |
Property introduction and brokerage for new development/manufacturing site; project management |
For general project inquiries:
Naruyuki Matsuura
Associate Director, Office, Advisory Services | Leasing, CBRE K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-80-9290-9987
Miki Hosogaya
Consultant, Office, Advisory Services | Leasing, CBRE K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-90-8561-6523
For project management inquiries:
Shinichi Horiuchi
Senior Project Manager, Turner & Townsend K.K.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-70-3543-9179
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves clients through four business segments: Advisory (leasing, sales, debt origination, mortgage servicing, valuations); Building Operations & Experience (facilities management, property management, flex space & experience); Project Management (program management, project management, cost consulting); Real Estate Investments (investment management, development). Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
About Turner & Townsend
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 employees across more than 60 countries, providing consultancy services in the construction sector. The company partners with clients in real estate, infrastructure, energy, and natural resources to deliver large-scale programs and projects, specializing in cost and commercial management, net-zero strategies, and digital solutions across global markets. Turner & Townsend is majority-owned by CBRE Group, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm.
About Cellares
Cellares is the world’s first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and takes an Industry 4.0 approach to mass manufacturing the living drugs of the 21st century. The company has developed integrated technologies, the Cell Shuttle™ and Cell Q™, to automate the end-to-end manufacturing and quality control of cell therapy products. These technologies will be deployed in Cellares’ IDMO Smart Factories around the world to meet total patient demand for cell therapies at global scale. Partnering with Cellares enables academics, biotechs, and pharma companies to accelerate drug development and scale out manufacturing, lower process failure rates, lower manufacturing costs, and make life-saving treatment more accessible to patients. Cellares and Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $380M worldwide capacity reservation and supply agreement to bring the promise of cell therapy to more patients, faster. Cellares is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Cellares, please visit cellares.com or reach out directly to [email protected].
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