ATEd - Academic Technology Education Across Borders
Modern CNC and CAD/CAM laboratories, training programmes for operators and distance-learning courses, built together with the technical universities of Baia Mare and Ivano-Frankivsk.
- Project code
ROUA00183- Total budget
- 1.254.828,85 EUR
- Period
- 16 Jun 2025 - 15 Jun 2027
- Lead partner
- Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas (UA) - 812.768,28 EUR
- Partners
- Universitatea Tehnică din Cluj-Napoca, Centrul Universitar Nord Baia Mare (RO) - 367.898,34 EUR
Asociația Organizația Academică de Cercetare, Inovare și Dezvoltare Profesională (RO) - 74.162,23 EUR
1 / 6Education is of cornerstone importance to any society: it generates the workforce that keeps the economy thriving and the support services a robust society needs. ATEd addresses four common challenges of the cross-border area: a decreasing trend of enrolment in technological and vocational education, a high percentage of youth neither in education nor in employment, low quality of educational infrastructure, and an insufficient level of digitisation for online classes.
The overall objective is to improve the quality and availability of professional technical education in the field of automated production and lifelong learning, by strengthening the practical component through modern equipment and advanced digital technologies.
What we are building
1. Modernised educational infrastructure
- Training laboratory on technologies with CNC machines - educational turning and milling CNC machines, simulators, software for CNC machine technologies.
- Professional centre with CNC machines and robots - multifunctional processing machine, industrial robot, turning CNC machine.
- Computer class with CAD/CAM systems - workstations, server, software.
The proposed learning environment improves the quality of education in mechanical engineering. Specialised software provides an opportunity to acquire new digital skills for teachers and students, and is accessible to people with disabilities. Students and teachers of various educational institutions in the region are able to use the modern laboratories, and employment centres can refer temporarily unemployed people for retraining.
2. Educational, lifelong learning and mentorship programmes
Educational programmes for distance-learning courses:
- Guide CAD for high school students
- Guide for work in CAM systems
- Handbook for CNC operator
- Applications of part manufacturing technology using the CNC machine
- Applicative Guide in Virtual Reality
Training courses: CNC machine operators, milling and turning on CNC machines, programming of industrial robots, five-coordinate processing, training for high school students on CAD systems.
3. Joint initiatives for the popularisation of technical education
- Educational web platform for tools ensuring stable long-term cooperation
- Agreements between institutions
- Joint strategy supporting adult education and training
What is new
The novelty of this project lies in the proposed educational laboratories, which can be used by participants of very different levels of training and age - from high school students to professional engineers and workers. During training a project-oriented approach is used, providing an opportunity to create prototypes and educational models. The full launch of laboratory capacities and educational programmes contributes to the reduction of unemployment in the region.
Target outputs
| Indicator | Target |
|---|---|
| Classroom capacity of new or modernised education facilities | 255 persons |
| Annual users of new or modernised education facilities | 340 users/year |
| Certified specialists | 120 |
| Organisations cooperating across borders | 4 |
Where we are now
The contract was signed on 16 June 2025 and implementation ends on 15 June 2027. So far:
- the CAD/CAM modelling classroom at IFNTUOG is complete, equipped with computers, licensed software and interactive learning tools
- the Digital Engineering Center in Ivano-Frankivsk was inaugurated on 19 May 2026, with a CAD/CAM laboratory, CNC machine tools and an industrial robotics laboratory
- the CAD/CAM laboratory in Baia Mare is operational and already hosts training sessions with high school students
- the training guides and handbooks are being prepared jointly by teaching staff from both universities
Project co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A NEXT Romania–Ukraine Programme 2021–2027.
Photo gallery
Project news
International workshop in Rzeszów, Poland
Between 13–17 July 2026, ATEd representatives took part in the international workshop "Understanding Cross-Border Practices in Modern Design and Modeling Tools" at Rzeszów University of Technology.
High school students train in the UTCN CAD/CAM lab
Students from "George Barițiu" Technological High School Baia Mare visited the new CAD/CAM laboratory at UTCN-NUCBM for a hands-on training session.
Exchange of best practices between technical experts in Baia Mare
During 9–11 June 2026, technical experts from all three partners met in Baia Mare for a best-practice exchange, lab visits, and a working seminar on project progress.