France

Canada-France relations are rooted in a shared history and language as well as strong political connections demonstrated through numerous bi- and multilateral agreements. In 2020, France was Canada’s 5th largest trading partner globally, and 2nd largest in Europe with total bilateral trade reaching over .

In terms of research connections, Canada has identified France as one of its priority countries for scientific cooperation and partnerships. In 2022, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the French National Centre for Scientific Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) entering a new partnership for collaboration in research and innovation between the two countries.

This high valued-added partnership with France focuses on innovation in such as medical technologies, biotechnology as applied to medicine and agro-industry, green technologies, renewable energy, advanced materials, nanotechnologies, and more. These areas of innovation consistently align with the ݮƵ Institute for Nanotechnology’s vision and the expertise of its members, making France a high-priority strategic partner.

University of Bordeaux (UB)

The University of Bordeaux (UB) is a key partner of the ݮƵ Institute for Nanotechnology in nanomaterials science and technology, and one of the top institutions in France in this area. UB was chosen as one of a privileged group of seven universities in France to receive funding of almost 1B € over 10 years from the French Government Program “Investissements d’Avenir” (Investing in the Future) for advanced materials R&D.

In 2010, the International Doctoral Student Program in Functional Materials (IDS-FunMat) commenced, with 11 scholarships awarded to UW and European graduate students sponsored by the Erasmus Mundus Program of the European Union, and an additional three sponsored by UW's Faculties of Engineering and Science.