SkillsBridge – Cross-Border Academy for Smart Industry Competence and Future Excellence

Project ROBG00324 is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg VI-A Romania–Bulgaria Programme. The total project budget is 736 482,40 EUR, of which 589 185,92 EUR represents EU funding.

Project objectives:

• Establishment of a Cross-Border Smart Industry Academy offering innovative and accessible training in high-growth potential sectors.
• Improvement of skills and employability of young people, employees, NEETs, and people from remote areas in the Romania–Bulgaria cross-border region, increasing employment and competitiveness by upgrading workforce qualifications.
• Promotion of long-term cooperation between education, industry, and the public sector.
• Support for digitalisation, automation, and the green transition in the Romania–Bulgaria region.

Main activities:

• Development of a joint training programme in Industry 4.0 with 6 thematic modules.
• Organisation of 6 virtual workshops.
• Establishment of Smart Industry Laboratories in Ruse and Craiova for pneumatics and electro-pneumatics, mechatronics, industrial controllers and robotics, hydraulics and electro-hydraulics, and electric motors;
• Delivery of hybrid Bulgarian and Romanian language courses.
• Implementation of cross-border exchange visits under the “Experience Multiplicator” programme.
• Development and deployment of the SkillsBridge digital training platform for remote and hybrid learning.
• Activities for promotion, communication, and engagement with target groups in the cross-border region.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities of Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce 

• Main partner responsible for communication, dissemination, and promotion activities;
• Organization of information events and engagement of target groups in the cross-border region;
• Support in the development and implementation of the digital platform and training programme;
• Organizing the “Experience Multiplicator Program” and coordinating cross-border mobility exchanges;
• Leading the Research on best practices within the smart industry sector in CB region;
• Promoting the SkillsBridge training programs among businesses, SMEs, and educational institutions in both Romania and Bulgaria;
• Responsible for Roadshow Demos – 8 piloting events (one in each district in the Bulgarian part of the CBC area);
• Responsible for organisation of Romanian language course in Bulgaria;
• Participation in cross-border exchange activities and collaboration with industry stakeholders.
• Ensuring wide uptake of project deliverables through BRCC’s extensive network;
• Supporting collaboration between education and business across the cross-border region.

Partners:

• Lead Partner: Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bulgaria)
• Partner 2: Association for Research, Technology Transfer and Innovation (ARoTT), Romania
• Partner 3: Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BRCC), Bulgaria