International Research Center CNRS–USP Transitions: Foundations, Achievements and Path Forward

The CNRS–USP International Research Center (IRC) Transitions embodies a new era of Franco-Brazilian cooperation. Launched in October 2023 by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the University of São Paulo (USP), it responds to an urgent global need: producing knowledge capable of guiding the ecological, technological and societal transformations of the twenty-first century. Meanwhile, the initiative inspired the establishment of a new international funding framework by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), further consolidating the institutional and structural basis of this long-term partnership. The IRC unites seven scientific pillars, hundreds of researchers and a growing ecosystem of joint international laboratories, doctoral programs and interdisciplinary initiatives. Its ambition is twofold — to deepen scientific excellence through durable, co-constructed research, and to translate that excellence into tangible contributions for society. In less than two years, the IRC has already become both a symbol and an instrument of scientific diplomacy, linking Europe and Latin America in a shared pursuit of sustainable innovation.