A recent mission to monitor Erasmus+ projects of the Republic of Moldova by Paul Harris, Project Adviser at the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), highlighted the tangible impact of Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) projects on the modernisation of the national higher education system.

During the visit, the EACEA representative reviewed seven ongoing CBHE projects and met with implementing higher education institutions in both Chișinău and Bălți. Particular attention was given to NEEDEDU4.0, which was recognised as a strong example of effective university cooperation, industry engagement, and skills-oriented education reform.

As highlighted during the mission, NEEDEDU4.0 has introduced an interuniversity Master’s programme in Mechanical Engineering designed to respond directly to the needs of Moldova’s industrial sector. A defining feature of the programme is its strategic partnership with the automotive multinational Dräxlmaier, which operates several production sites in Moldova.

The project enables students to access the Master’s programme through multiple academic pathways, thereby widening participation and contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce with advanced mechanical engineering competences. This flexible and inclusive approach was noted as a significant strength of the project.

Paul Harris underlined that NEEDEDU4.0 effectively builds on the expertise of partner universities from Germany and Romania, ensuring knowledge transfer, curriculum modernisation, and alignment with European standards. The project was acknowledged for its clear focus on employability, applied learning, and long-term sustainability.

During visits to the partner institutions, CBHE-funded equipment related to NEEDEDU4.0 was observed to be fully operational, clearly labelled, and integrated into modern learning environments where digital tools and cooperation with the business sector are standard practice.

Overall, the visit confirmed NEEDEDU4.0 as a high-impact Erasmus+ CBHE project that contributes significantly to strengthening engineering education, fostering university–industry collaboration, and enhancing the innovation capacity of the Republic of Moldova.