The Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) Inc. was founded in 2016 as a merger between the French researchers in Australia network and the Australian-French Association for Science and Technology (AFAS ACT) Inc. AFRAN has now grown to include more than 1100 formal members. The Association has a presence across all Australia's states and territories, the Pacific and Indian Ocean and metropolitan France. We represent a rich community of experts in all areas of research and innovation. Our main goal is to support and empower the community of researchers, industry players, community stakeholders and policy makers who are involved in existing research and innovation bilateral collaborations or who seek ways to develop new initiatives of interest for our two countries, and the European and Indo-Pacific regions writ large. As a volunteer-run organisation, AFRAN has supported the development of multiple French and European research engagements with Australia. Over the years, AFRAN has created a network of researchers, policy makers, industry and innovators for mutual advice, support and opportunity sharing, developed and supported activities and events to energise the network, incentivised interdisciplinary collaboration and championed the strengthening of French-Australian research and innovation collaboration. AFRAN has recently reviewed its governance, been able to host French Government secondees to support the growth of our activities, and has been able to leverage Australian and French government and industry funding to develop activities and initiatives around key topics for both countries. AFRAN greatly values international, interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approaches to research and innovation.