Brazil's São Paulo state research funding agency, bridging European and Brazilian R&I through ERA-NET co-funding in materials, batteries, and biodiversity.
FAPESP is the São Paulo State Research Foundation, one of Brazil's most important public research funding agencies. In the H2020 context, it acts as a bridge between Brazilian and European research systems, co-funding joint calls and enabling cross-continental collaboration in materials science and environmental research. FAPESP brings its extensive network of Brazilian universities and research labs into European consortia, particularly through ERA-NET co-fund mechanisms that align national and EU funding streams. Its role is strategic rather than technical — it coordinates funding flows and policy alignment between Brazil and Europe.
All four H2020 projects focus on international cooperation, with INCOBRA explicitly dedicated to EU-Brazil STI cooperation and the ERA-NETs requiring cross-border funding alignment.
Participated in both M-ERA.NET 2 and M-ERA.NET3, covering advanced materials, battery technologies, and circular economy research funding.
BiodivScen project focused on joint programming for biodiversity research, including nature-based solutions and sustainable development.
INCOBRA involved foresight and policy dialogue for R&I cooperation; BiodivScen engaged science-society interfaces and policy alignment.
FAPESP's early H2020 involvement (2016-2017) centered on broad EU-Brazil cooperation frameworks — science diplomacy, foresight exercises, and building institutional connections (INCOBRA). Over time, its focus shifted toward thematic depth: advanced materials, battery technologies, circular economy (M-ERA.NET3), and biodiversity scenarios. The trajectory shows a move from general international cooperation infrastructure toward targeted, mission-driven research areas aligned with the European Green Deal and SDGs.
FAPESP is increasingly aligning its European partnerships with Green Deal priorities — battery technologies, circular economy, and biodiversity — suggesting future collaborations will center on sustainability-driven applied research.
FAPESP participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with its role as a national funding agency joining multilateral frameworks rather than leading technical work. It operates in large consortia (88 unique partners across 38 countries), reflecting the broad membership typical of ERA-NET co-fund actions. This means FAPESP is not a hands-on research partner but a funding gateway: partnering with them opens access to Brazilian co-funding and the São Paulo research ecosystem.
FAPESP has collaborated with 88 unique partners across 38 countries, an exceptionally wide geographic spread driven by its participation in large ERA-NET networks. This positions it as a connector between European funding agencies and the Brazilian research system rather than a player with deep bilateral ties.
FAPESP is one of the few non-European funding agencies actively embedded in H2020 ERA-NET structures, making it a rare bridge for EU-Brazil research collaboration. For European consortia, partnering with FAPESP means access to co-funding from one of Latin America's largest regional research budgets (São Paulo state alone funds ~40% of Brazil's research output). No other Brazilian organization offers this combination of institutional weight, funding capacity, and established EU network presence.
