Université PSL expands in Brazil: New Institut Universitaire PSL | USP inaugurated in São Paulo
The inauguration of the Institut Universitaire PSL | USP marks Université PSL's first strategic foothold in Latin America, signaling a new phase of collaboration between Université PSL and the University of São Paulo, two world-class institutions. The new center will address health, environmental and strategic autonomy challenges between France and Brazil. It will be co-directed by Christian Lerminiaux, former president of Chimie ParisTech - PSL, and Fernando Menezes de Almeida.
June 8, 2026, Université PSL and the University of São Paulo (USP) inaugurated the Institut Universitaire PSL | USP, a new center for research, innovation, and education located in São Paulo. Working closely with the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), the main public research funding agency in the State of São Paulo, and backed by a €5 million seed fund provided by USP, this pioneering center marks a new milestone in the cooperation between our two universities.
A pioneering center dedicated to driving transformation
Designed as a hub for research, innovation, and education, the PSL | USP University Institute will develop interdisciplinary projects in the fields of the circular economy, health, and engineering.
“We are particularly proud to inaugurate the Institut Universitaire PSL | USP today, which represents a global first. It is the result of scientific collaborations developed by our researchers and builds on the momentum of Université PSL’s major research programs. By bringing together research, education, innovation, and collaboration under one roof, this institute creates a unique ecosystem between Université PSL and the University of São Paulo, as well as between Europe and Latin America, to accelerate the development of concrete solutions to environmental and health challenges.” - El Mouhoub Mouhoud, president of Université PSL
Several projects are already underway, including CIRCuLar Ecosystems in Cities (Brazil-France), which focuses on circular urban ecosystems, as well as research on the use of monolignols derived from lignin as sustainable foam stabilizers. These projects are supported by the PSL Global Seed Fund, an initiative that promotes the development of international scientific collaborations.
A catalyst for cooperation between science and industry
Thanks to the complementary expertise of PSL and USP, and with support from FAPESP, the center provides an ideal setting for connecting researchers, doctoral students, and engineers across the public and private sectors through partnership models tailored to the specific ambitions and challenges of each company. The institute’s mission is to collaborate with the private sector on applied research projects with high industrial potential and to jointly define medium- and long-term innovation strategies.
An open platform for Europe and Latin America
Beyond its scientific and partnership-based mission, the institute also serves as a strategic hub for fostering cooperation between Europe and Latin America. In particular, the center will house an office of the European University EELISA, USP having joined in 2025 the Alliance of which PSL is a member. EELISA Executive Director Sofia Costa d'Aguiar, accompanied by Balazs Vince Nagy, presented the European-Brazilian collaboration during the inauguration. Institute also serves as a strategic catalyst for fostering cooperation between Europe and Latin America.
Scientific collaboration already underway
In this video, professors Daniel Herrera (Mines Paris - PSL), Anna Creti (Dauphine - PSL) and Perla Calil (USP) present the project CIRCuLar Ecosystems in Cities (Brazil-France), recipient of a PSL Global Seed Fund support.