IPAL is a CNRS International (French-Singaporean) Research Laboratory (IRL 2955), based in Singapore. It was funded in 1998 as a special overseas CNRS Research Project in order to create a framework for collaborative research projects including CNRS, NUS, and A*Star. This first research structure moved to the status of CNRS Research Group in 2000.

In 2007, IPAL became a CNRS IRL (the highest label among the CNRS international programs). The IRL agreement was signed in January 2007, for an initial period of 4 years (renewable), between the CNRS (INS2I institute), A*Star (I2R Institute), NUS (School of Computing), and the University of Grenoble-Alpes, France. The agreement was renewed in 2011 and 2015, with additional partners (Institut Mines Telecom, France, and Sorbonne University, France).

In 2019, the IPAL agreement has been extended for two more years in order to prepare a new scientific program focused on Artificial Intelligence, starting in 2021. The main partners involved in this new program are the three founding partners (CNRS, A*STAR, and NUS), with University of Toulouse 3 (UT3), INP Toulouse (INPT), and Cergy-Paris University (CYU), France, as additional partners.

IPAL aims to bring sustainable benefits to both French and Singaporean computer science research communities, highlighted as follows:

• Research hub located in Singapore to connect ASEAN and European researchers in computer science.
• Creation of a common academic grounding related to Computer Science research and technologies including high-quality international publications, innovative research prototypes, research contracts, copyrights, and patents.
• Incubation place for  the next French and European research and industry leaders who want to deal with the dynamic and vibrant research trends in South-East Asia.
• R&D support to French/European industries interested to develop and provide innovative services or advanced technologies in Singapore and South-East Asia.