On Friday, November 27, 2025, Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu State University in Cahul (USC) hosted the management meeting of the ERASMUS+ NeedEDU4.0 project implementation team – Enhancing mechanical engineering education in Moldova for Industry 4.0 (NEEDEDU4.0) project implementation team, funded by the European Union. The project managers from the Technical University of Moldova – Prof. Larisa BUGAIAN, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rodion CIUPERCĂ, participated alongside the USC project implementation team – Prof. Andrei POPA, PhD, Assoc. Prof. Marina BUNEA, PhD, Assoc. Prof. Liliana CECLU, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Liudmila ROȘCA-SADURSCHI, PhD. The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the progress made within the project and to plan the next steps that will support the implementation of the interuniversity master’s program “Smart Industries and Digital Transformation” (120 ECTS), carried out in partnership between UTM, USC, and USARB – Alecu Russo State University in Bălți. The discussions highlighted the importance of curriculum alignment, inter-university coherence, and continuous modernization of the educational process, which are essential for training specialists prepared for Industry 4.0. Particular emphasis was placed on strategies to promote the program in order to attract as many candidates as possible, including specialists from industrial enterprises in the south of the country. An important objective of the visit was to check the equipment purchased through the project, which is intended to transform the way students interact with advanced technology. These include:

• The Collaborative Robotics Set – three educational robots that can be used simultaneously by 3 to 18 master’s students, providing realistic experiences in areas such as flexible automation, artificial vision, and human-robot interaction.
• A modern interactive whiteboard, which facilitates the visual and collaborative teaching-learning process, bringing the dynamics of active learning into the classroom.
• Lenovo 16.0 laptops, designed for the efficient management of digital educational resources and the effective coordination of project activities.

These investments contribute directly to the modernization of university infrastructure and the creation of an educational environment compatible with the requirements of emerging technologies. During the meeting, the need to expand collaboration with the economic environment in the region and attract a larger number of students from industrial companies in the south of the country was emphasized. At the same time, the parties expressed their openness to continue cooperation with a view to jointly authorising and implementing the master’s programme “Smart Industries and Digital Transformation” – a key programme for developing the digital and technological skills of the new generation of engineers. Through such initiatives, UTM, together with its partners, contributes to the modernization and harmonization of engineering education to European standards, strengthening the training of specialists for the digital economy of the future.