Under the agreement, the three firms will advance SakuLab-Tsukuba, an open innovation hub launched by Astellas, and expedite open innovation and boost the life science ecosystem in Tsukuba, Kashiwa-no-ha and the nearby areas
The main building of Mitsui Fudosan in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. (Credit: 663highland from Wikimedia Commons)
Astellas Pharma, BioLabs Global and Mitsui Fudosan have partnered on a tri-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the life science ecosystem in Tsukuba and Kashiwa-no-ha, Japan science hubs.
Under the agreement, the three firms will advance SakuLab-Tsukuba, an open innovation hub launched by Astellas in October 2023.
The companies will also expedite open innovation and boost the life science ecosystem in Tsukuba, Kashiwa-no-ha and the nearby areas.
As per the MoU, BioLabs, a company known for its shared laboratories, programming, and support for life science startups and industry connectivity, will assist Astellas by providing its expertise to guarantee seamless facility management.
Additionally, it will co-host networking events for locals and give them chances to interact with a larger life science ecosystem.
A rental lab space in Kashiwa-no-ha, MITSUI LINK-Lab KASHIWA-NO-HA 1, is run by Mitsui Fudosan and supports the open innovation efforts of its tenants.
Astellas built the TME iLab open innovation centre in Mitsui Fudosan’s MITSUI LINK-Lab KASHIWA-NO-HA 1 to study the tumour microenvironment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Japan-based Astellas and Mitsui Fudosan will work together to improve the planned life science ecosystem in Tsukuba, Kashiwa-no-ha, and the neighbouring districts.
Astellas chief scientific officer Yoshitsugu Shitaka said: “We strongly support the growth of academic seeds and startups; we contribute to the development of the life science ecosystem in each region with strategic partnerships, joint research opportunities and investments in open laboratories.
“With this agreement, we envision our labs in Tsukuba and Kashiwa-no-ha to be where visionary ideas and specialised knowledge converge, turbocharging the development of pioneering healthcare solutions.”
SakuLab-Tsukuba will have ready-to-use experimental facilities in Astellas’ Tsukuba Research Center, one of their research facilities.
By utilising its drug development capabilities, it will assist entrepreneurs and academia working on innovation and offer networking opportunities between residents and Astellas researchers.
BioLabs founder and CEO Johannes Fruehauf said: “In support of our shared mission to accelerate the commercialisation of cutting-edge innovations that improve the lives of patients, we will work together to develop the life science innovation ecosystem in the Tsukuba area.”