The CROSSCOMP 2.0 project proposes an integrated approach — the Cross-Border Hub of Competences for the Automotive Industry — to respond to the increasing demand for more attractive and practically-oriented educational offers across the technical universities in the Romania–Moldova cross-border area. The project focuses on aligning education with the labour market requirements of one of the region’s most dynamic sectors: automotive engineering.
CROSSCOMP 2.0 provides coordination and support measures to address costs, enhance collaboration, and foster cross-fertilisation of ideas through a set of integrated actions.
The project starts with the planning and development of a joint educational and research strategy in automotive engineering. This strategy provides a framework for aligning and integrating education programs and curricula within the regional automotive sector, creating a supportive environment for cross-sector coordination across all faculties and departments, and fostering cooperation with other academic institutions and agencies to achieve interrelated educational goals.
CROSSCOMP 2.0 also focuses on joint curricular design. Existing courses are upgraded to synchronize curricula with current innovation levels in the automotive sector. New courses with practical components are developed in close cooperation with regional companies, providing exchange of experience and best practices, thus improving the quality and relevance of education in line with labour market needs.
A key action is the joint development of new high-quality interdisciplinary Master programs. TUIASI will develop a Master program in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, while UTM will explore a Master program in Automotive Systems Engineering, through exchange of experience with TUIASI’s Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
The project further invests in upgrading academic infrastructure. Six laboratories across the partner universities will be modernized, serving 33 automotive engineering-related disciplines. This allows students to gain hands-on experience and develop cross-disciplinary technical skills essential for the evolving automotive industry.
CROSSCOMP 2.0 promotes entrepreneurship and innovation among students. A common program of entrepreneurship education will stimulate creativity, innovation, and active citizenship. As part of this effort, the Automotive Engineering International Summer School (AEISS) will be hosted by UTM, involving students from all partner universities and focusing on the latest trends in automotive research and development.
Finally, the project supports professional development for academic staff. Faculty members will gain applied knowledge in curriculum design, project-based learning, peer and group assessments, regional networking, and teaching using new technologies. A dedicated cross-border conference on automotive engineering teaching will be organized in Iași, along with five webinars involving students, academic staff, and invited experts from the regional automotive industry and international academic partners, enhancing both teaching and research capabilities across the consortium.