Founded in 1994 on the grounds of Strasbourg’s University Hospital, the institute was the first of the IRCAD network. Created by Professor Jacques Marescaux and his team, it was conceived as a pioneering center entirely dedicated to the development and dissemination of minimally invasive surgical techniques. What set IRCAD apart from the outset was its unique model: a combination of research, training, and technological innovation under one roof, designed to serve both the medical and scientific communities.

Its unique educational and research model soon gained worldwide recognition, becoming the blueprint for the creation of 8 mirror institutes across five continents. From its inception, IRCAD France has combined advanced technologies, international expertise, and a strong commitment to excellence in surgical training and innovation.

Today, IRCAD France covers over 12,000 square meters dedicated to training and research in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. The institute welcomes approximately 8,000 surgeons each year and features 3 high-definition auditoriums, 20 operating tables, and more than 30 robotic surgical systems from 6 different industrial partners, making it one of the world’s largest and most advanced robotic training centers. Supported by a faculty of over 800 international experts and a strong network of academic and industrial partners, IRCAD France continues to shape the future of surgery by offering cutting-edge facilities and comprehensive, hands-on education programs.

IRCAD France remains committed to innovation, investing in the development of surgical robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced image-guided interventions. The institute is expanding its educational offerings into emerging specialties, reinforcing its leadership in minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures. With new robotic platforms, AI-powered surgical assistance tools, and a growing global academic network, IRCAD France is preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s medicine.

As the first international expansion of the IRCAD global network, IRCAD Taiwan was established in 2008 by President Min-Ho Huang in partnership with Show Chwan Health Care System. Modeled after the original IRCAD in Strasbourg, it upholds the same standards in minimally invasive surgical training and research across Asia.

From day one, IRCAD Taiwan integrated advanced medical simulation technologies and globally recognized faculty to offer world-class education. Its mission remains to bring top-tier surgical training closer to Asia-Pacific surgeons and raise regional healthcare standards. The center fosters excellence by combining innovation, expertise, and a commitment to the continuous advancement of surgical techniques.

IRCAD Taiwan continues to lead surgical education by embracing the latest technologies, including robotic platforms, artificial intelligence, 3D imaging, and digital simulation. The curriculum and research programs evolve continually to reflect cutting-edge techniques in laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic surgery. It also drives multidisciplinary research initiatives, partnering with hospitals, universities, and innovation hubs to explore surgical AI, data modeling, and precision medicine.

In collaboration with Show Chwan’s hospital network and international medical societies, IRCAD Taiwan expands training into emerging subspecialties and fosters cross-border collaboration. With multilingual instruction and a commitment to quality, the center connects East and West to elevate patient care and surgeon expertise.

IRCAD Taiwan stands as a premier surgical education center in Asia-Pacific, hosting around 2,000 surgeons annually. The facility includes high-definition auditoriums, advanced robotic systems, animal labs, dry and wet labs, and a hybrid operating room for comprehensive hands-on training. Its expanding network of academic and industry partners supports IRCAD Taiwan’s vision: to prepare surgeons for the future of medicine through innovative learning and global collaboration.

After the opening of IRCAD Taiwan, the president of Hospital de Amor (Barretos Cancer Hospital), Henrique Prata, joined forces with the Scientific Director of IRCAD Latin America, Dr. Armando Melani, to bring the center to Brazil, with the aim of facilitating access to excellent training for surgeons, recognizing the great advances that would be possible in healthcare throughout Latin America. IRCAD America Latina was opened in 2011 in Barretos, state of São Paulo, Brazil, allied to the largest specialized complex of free oncological treatment in Latin America and based on the IRCAD essence of democratizing the evolution of surgery.

Since its inception, the center in Brazil has maintained IRCAD’s international standards in terms of structure, technology, and methodology, providing training in minimally invasive approaches in a wide range of specialties, preparing surgeons for the challenges of their daily work and those of tomorrow.

In fourteen years of activity, the IRCAD Barretos plays a prominent role in the surgical scenario of the continent, actively working towards the accelerated growth of the number of minimally invasive surgeries in Brazil and Latin America. The numbers speak for themselves: over 17,000 trained surgeons from 40 countries with an average student satisfaction rate of 98%.

Promoting surgical education isn’t just about acting in the present, it’s about shaping the future of healthcare. In acknowledgment of the excellence of its training programs, this unit received quality accreditations from the World Endoscopy Organization and the American College of Surgeons, being the first Latin American institution to achieve this recognition.

Continuing to lead the way in high-level training, IRCAD America Latina expands with a focus on robotic surgery, creating new environments where practice meets precision, and innovation fuels excellence.

To further facilitate access to cutting-edge technology and expand its reach to surgeons across Latin America, the second Brazilian unit of IRCAD was established in the “Marvelous City” Rio de Janeiro.

Since its inauguration in 2017, IRCAD Rio has conducted more than 129 specialized training programs, resulting in over 4,000 professionals trained and the engagement of over 1,500 expert faculty members. Notably, 30% of participants come from other Latin American countries.Located in Barra da Tijuca, within the Américas Medical Complex, which also includes the Samaritano Barra and Vitória hospitals, IRCAD Rio stands as a center of excellence in surgical education.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the facility offers advanced training in areas such as robotic surgery, supported by innovative teaching methodologies and a distinguished faculty. The center features a modern infrastructure that includes a 150-seat auditorium with capabilities for live 3D and 4K surgical transmissions, simultaneous translation booths, a spacious foyer, robotic simulation rooms, video conferencing facilities, and specialized laboratories for laparoscopic and robotic surgery.

IRCAD’s mission is to foster development, education, and innovation in healthcare, contributing actively to the advancement of the Brazilian health system. A dedicated team of professionals ensures the planning and delivery of high-quality training programs, events, and medical congresses. IRCAD Rio is proud to maintain a student satisfaction rate of 98%, reflecting its commitment to excellence in surgical education.

IRCAD Lebanon, established in Beirut in 2019, is a branch of the internationally renowned IRCAD institute, originally founded in Strasbourg, France, in 1994.Its creation marked a major advancement in surgical education and medical innovation in the Middle East. In 2025, the center was re-inaugurated under the patronage of the President of the Lebanese Republic, Joseph Aoun, reaffirming its national significance in a shifting geopolitical context.

The center aims to retain local talent by offering accessible, hands-on training experiences rooted in international expertise. IRCAD Lebanon houses the DaVinci Xi robotic system, enabling surgeons to practice with the latest minimally invasive technology. Its strategic partnerships with universities help strengthen Lebanon’s role as a leader in surgical excellence.

Located at Hôpital Français du Levant, IRCAD Lebanon offers multidisciplinary training and workshops to surgeons across the Arab world. While the center mirrors the curriculum and advancements of IRCAD France, it focuses on adapting those standards through approachable, practical teaching formats that emphasize learning by doing. By reducing the need for physicians to travel abroad for education, IRCAD Lebanon plays a key role in fostering regional development.

IRCAD Lebanon is the first surgical training academy of its kind in Lebanon and the Middle East, and it proudly stands as the fourth international IRCAD center in the world. It emphasizes continuous learning through live and recorded workshops. By integrating research, education, and technology, IRCAD Lebanon is transforming how surgery is taught and practiced across the region.

IRCAD Africa, inaugurated in 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, is the first IRCAD center on the continent. Born from a strategic partnership between IRCAD France and the Government of Rwanda, the center is dedicated to advancing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across Africa.

Modeled after the IRCAD Strasbourg blueprint, IRCAD Africa delivers world-class education, research, and innovation tailored to regional needs. To date, it has trained over 700 healthcare professionals, including surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and nurses. The center is a beacon of surgical excellence, fostering capacity building, reducing the continent’s dependency on overseas training, and positioning Africa as a hub for cutting-edge surgical learning. At IRCAD Africa, cutting-edge technology meets local expertise. From surgical robotics and AI to virtual and augmented reality, the center is reimagining how surgical skills are taught and mastered.

Courses are designed to grow with global trends such namely laparoscopy, endoscopy, and robotics, all come alive through immersive training. But the work goes beyond the classroom. Research projects are tackling real-world problems, like early cancer detection and precision-guided surgery. IRCAD Africa is more than a place to learn, it’s a place to connect, collaborate, and lead. With multilingual programs and a strong network of partners, it’s opening doors for African surgeons everywhere. IRCAD Africa has already welcomed over 700 passionate medical professionals, and we’re just getting started.

Our purpose-built campus in Kigali offers the latest in surgical simulation: VR tools, hybrid operating rooms, wet and dry labs, and more. Whether you’re a surgeon seeking new skills or a partner looking to shape the future of healthcare, IRCAD Africa is where innovation meets impact, and Africa leads the way in surgical excellence.

IRCAD China, the sole mirror institute of IRCAD in mainland China, is located in Wuxi, a city nestled in the heart of the vibrant Yangtze River Delta, whose very essence is intertwined with the waterways that crisscross its terrain. The center is funded by SK Group, one of the biggest Korean conglomerates, aiming to advance healthcare and create social values.

Spanning 28,000 m2, IRCAD China features two state-of-the-art auditoriums, an 18-station laparoscopic laboratory, a 15-station robotic laboratory, a hybrid OR room, and various ancillary spaces for catering and academic needs. IRCAD China, upholding participant-centric philosophy, is committed to bridging global standards with domestic clinical needs by offering courses with leading experts and first-class infrastructure. IRCAD China has developed a multidimensional curriculum system tailored to both domestic and international medical training needs. The curriculum system progresses from fundamental principles to advanced technological applications, systematically enhancing surgeons’ theoretical knowledge and clinical competencies.

IRCAD China works closely with international and Chinese leading experts from different surgical specialties to deliver highly interactive and rigorously professional training content that seamlessly integrates theoretical knowledge with practical skills. At IRCAD China, beyond training programs for surgeons, the center also functions as a pivotal hub bridging technological innovation and clinical application through integrated resources.

As the medical device industry – especially the surgical robotics sector – in China expands rapidly driven by constant technological innovation such as artificial intelligence and 5G technologies, the demand for high-quality medical training has never been greater.

Following the mainstream of the application of surgical robots, the strategic collaboration between IRCAD China and leading robotics enterprises will inject more innovative momentum into the new era of intelligent surgery.

As one of the latest additions to the IRCAD global network, IRCAD India was established to bring world-renowned excellence in minimally invasive surgical training to South Asia. Located in Indore, India’s cleanest and one of its fastest-growing cities, IRCAD India mirrors the Strasbourg model in both philosophy and pedagogy.

From inception, IRCAD India has embraced simulation-based learning, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and an international faculty to deliver gold-standard education. With a strong focus on skill refinement and continuous innovation, IRCAD India empowers surgeons across the region with the tools and training to elevate clinical outcomes and surgical confidence. IRCAD India drives the future of surgical education by integrating global best practices with region-specific needs. The center offers high-level training across laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic techniques, blending 3D visualization, digital anatomy, and AI-assisted learning.

It serves as a dynamic hub for surgical advancement, forging partnerships with leading universities, hospitals, and medical societies across the world. Programs are designed to evolve continuously, reflecting real-time advancements in surgical science. With multilingual delivery, diverse case exposure, and hands-on modules, IRCAD India becomes a vital platform for bridging global innovation with Indian surgical excellence.

IRCAD India proudly hosted 197 national and international surgeons during its first year, offering immersive, hands-on training in one of Asia’s most advanced surgical education centers. The facility boasts smart classrooms, HD-equipped auditoriums, dry and wet labs, live tissue labs, and a hybrid OR, all designed for surgical precision and experiential learning. Aligned with global IRCAD values, IRCAD India aims to shape the next generation of surgeons through innovation, mentorship, and cross-border collaboration.

Opening in September 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina, IRCAD North America will be the newest addition to the globally renowned IRCAD network. This state-of-the-art 11,600-square-meter facility will deliver world-class expertise, hands-on training, and surgical innovation across four service lines: general surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, and orthopaedic surgery.

Highlights include a 105-seat augmented reality auditorium, a surgical ballroom with 26 laparoscopic stations, three dedicated robotics suites, and two hybrid operating rooms equipped with MRI, CT, Pheno, and Biplane capabilities. Our facility will support both translational research and immersive education, powered by strategic collaborations with top-tier industry and academic partners.

IRCAD North America will prioritize translational research, enabling rapid-cycle R&D of surgical tools and technologies. By leveraging big data and generative AI, we’ll capture surgical equipment performance in real-time. Combined with translational research on team dynamics in all aspects of minimally invasive interactions, we’ll be able to conceptualize and develop innovative surgical equipment, platforms, and other medical devices and software. Our courses will leverage augmented and virtual reality in both animate and inanimate models for immersive, hands-on training and telementoring.

At IRCAD North America, strategic collaboration fuels innovation. We partner with industry, academic institutions, and professional societies to accelerate surgical advancement.

By aligning education, research, and development under one roof, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in minimally invasive surgery. These partnerships enable the rapid translation of new ideas into practice, advancing outcomes, elevating training, and shaping the future of surgical care on a global scale.