The United Kingdom is São Paulo's second-largest international partner in science. Over the past 15 years, researchers from the state of São Paulo and Great Britain have published more than 18,000 co-authored articles, with an average citation impact four times higher than the global average. This performance is impressive, but there is still considerable room for growth, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy transition, biotechnology, and biodiversity. These areas are of increasing interest to both scientific communities, as participants at the opening ceremony of FAPESP Week London highlighted on Monday, June 2, at the Science Museum in London.
The event, which ends on June 4, aims to consolidate and expand scientific partnerships in strategic areas of mutual interest between researchers from São Paulo and the UK.
In his remarks, FAPESP President Marco Antonio Zago noted that the previous edition of FAPESP Week London took place in November 2019, just a few weeks before the onset of the global pandemic. “During the three challenging years that followed, more than seven million lives were lost worldwide, including 600,000 in Brazil,” he said. “Scientific publications declined, international academic exchanges ceased entirely, and the demand for research funding dropped dramatically.”
Zago celebrated the resumption, noting that the current landscape is very different from that of 2019. Artificial intelligence has emerged as the top research priority for most nations and is already reshaping the way scholarships are submitted and peer-reviewed. FAPESP has also undergone a transformation. The agency now awards over 10,000 grants and scholarships annually and supports approximately 50 world-class research centers, half of which are co-funded by the private sector, said the FAPESP president. These centers include the Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) and the Applied Research Centers (ARCs).
The official highlighted seven strategic themes identified by FAPESP’s Board of Trustees as priorities for the next three years. These themes present immediate opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the areas of biotechnology, energy transition, biodiversity and sustainable food production, digital transition and artificial intelligence, quantum sciences and technologies, human and animal health, and violence and public safety (read more at agencia.fapesp.br/57682).
Zago noted that São Paulo already accounts for 40% to 60% of all scientific articles published in Brazil, and it is home to 22% of all technology jobs and 55% of all science- and technology-based startups (deep techs).
Commitment to collaboration
Also present at the event’s opening was Francis Wood, Director of International Partnerships at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – the UK’s largest public research funder. She emphasized that the partnership with FAPESP is one of the institution’s most robust models and noted that there is fertile ground for deepening it. “Science can’t be a solitary endeavor. We need our friends and partners to solve the problems we face and drive the economic growth that all our countries need.”
Even amid internal changes – UKRI has a new chief executive, and a new institutional strategy is expected soon – Wood was unequivocal: international collaboration remains at the heart of the institution’s mission. She highlighted the alignment of priorities between the two agencies, particularly in agrotechnology, biodiversity, and climate, as a solid foundation upon which to build new initiatives.
New horizons for innovation
The depth of this partnership was detailed by Marcio de Castro, Scientific Director of FAPESP, who listed concrete initiatives and outlined the paths forward. FAPESP and UKRI co-chair the Transatlantic Platform, a multinational consortium focused on the humanities and social sciences. Since 2009, a responsive agreement with UKRI has allowed researchers to apply to all British research councils on an ongoing basis. In 2024, the Medical Research Council issued a bilateral call in the field of artificial intelligence for health with a combined investment of up to € 6 million and selected six collaborative projects. Partnerships with King’s College London and the University of Birmingham – the latter covering environmental sciences, urban transport, and health – further expand the scope of cooperation.
“For FAPESP Week London, our invitation is to identify new co-funded calls, expand research mobility, and explore joint research centers that can advance this exceptional partnership,” said Castro.
Global hub of innovation
The scope of this cooperation becomes even more significant when one considers the economic and scientific weight of the state of São Paulo. Vahan Agopyan, the State Secretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation, noted that despite comprising only 3% of the country’s territory, São Paulo accounts for 70% of the nation’s knowledge-based workforce. The state is also home to universities consistently ranked among the top five in Latin America: the University of São Paulo (USP), the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and São Paulo State University (UNESP). The state invests around BRL 1.8 billion per year in research and development, equivalent to 11% of its annual budget.
In the field of innovation, the data are equally impressive: São Paulo is the only Latin American ecosystem among the world’s top 100, placing 26th in global startup rankings. In the fintech sector, São Paulo has the largest ecosystem in the world. “The government plays its role, which is to support innovation, but not to interfere with it,” said Agopyan. He described a network of nearly 100 innovation hubs, including incubators, technology parks, and innovation districts, spread across the state. These hubs bring together at least 2,200 startups and 700 large companies.
Innovation diplomacy
The strategic dimension of scientific cooperation was highlighted by Alexandre Brasil, Minister-Counselor at the Brazilian Embassy in London. In his assessment, science and technology have ceased to be merely tools for economic development; they have become “drivers of national sovereignty, social equity, and global influence.” In response, Brazil has institutionalized a strategy called “innovation diplomacy,” which goes beyond traditional diplomatic representation to position the country as a producer, not just a recipient, of cutting-edge technologies.
The program, launched in 2017, operates through science, technology, and innovation units established at major Brazilian embassies and consulates. This approach is based on the “quadruple helix” concept, which unites government, academia, the private sector, and civil society around shared objectives. “The scientific cooperation agenda is positive and essential. It reflects a rare opportunity because it’s a win-win situation – both nations benefit from knowledge sharing, mutual trust, and joint solutions to urgent global challenges,” Brasil said.
The stage for scientific diplomacy
The event could not have taken place in a more symbolic setting. Shri Mukundagiri, the Deputy Executive Director of the British Science Museum, emphasized the museum’s historical ties to Brazil and the potential of science communication to strengthen that relationship. In recent years, the museum hosted the photography exhibition Amazonia and presented Water and Fire, an exhibition that explored the intersection between extreme weather events and human experiences in Brazil. An adaptation of the exhibition Injecting Hope – about the race for a vaccine for COVID-19 – was displayed at the Brazilian Embassy in London.
“The strongest bridges between nations are built not only through diplomacy but also through shared curiosity, mutual respect, and a commitment to advancing knowledge for the benefit of all humanity,” Mukundagiri said, emphasizing that this commitment is especially necessary “at a time when the role and virtue of science are frequently questioned in both our nations.”
Upcoming editions
To conclude the opening ceremony, Raul Machado, FAPESP’s Institutional Relations Manager and coordinator of FAPESP Week, provided context for the event’s history. The series began in Washington, D.C., in 2011 and has taken place in Uruguay, France, Spain, and Germany in recent years. Data show a consistent increase in joint proposals submitted after each edition, evidence that the format serves as a real catalyst for collaboration. The next editions have already been confirmed: in the Netherlands in October 2026 and in Canada in 2027.
“We’re looking for more than just scientific presentations during the event,” Machado concluded. “We want interaction, networking, and new proposed partnership among participants.”
More information about FAPESP Week London is available at fapesp.br/week/2026/london.