Cross-Border Academy for Smart Industry Competence and Future Excellence ( SkillsBridge - ROBG00324 )
What is the purpose?
Specific Objective: 4.2 - Improving equal access to inclusive and quality services in education, training and lifelong learning through developing accessible infrastructure, including by fostering resilience for distance and on-line education and training
The overall objective of the SkillsBridge project is to enhance access to inclusive and quality education and training services across the Romanian-Bulgarian border, focusing on Industry 4.0 skills development. The latter is meant to be achieved via targeted investments in state-of-the-art training facilities and creating a comprehensive digital learning platform.
What is the budget?
736.482,40 €, from which 589.185,92 € FEDR and 147.296,48 € National Contribution
Who implements the project?
Lead partner (LP): Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bulgaria
Partner 2 (P2): Romanian Association for Technology Transfer and Innovation (ARoTT), Romania
Partner 3 (P3): Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Ruse, Bulgaria
What is the implementation period?
Start date: 2025-08-19
End Date: 2027-08-18
Period: 24 months
Where it is implemented?
Craiova, Romania
Ruse District, Bulgaria
What will happen?
- Establishment and structure of cross-border smart industry academy for skilled workforce
- Equipment of the Cross-Border Smart Industry Academy for skilled workforce
- Research on best practices within the smart industry sector in CB region
- Development of SkillsBridge Online Training Tool
- Skillsbridge Smart Industry Academy Roadshow Demos
- Development of Common Training Curriculum and Methodology
- Launch of the Skill Booster Accelerator Program
- Experience Multiplicator Program
What will be the results (what is the contribution to the program)?
- RCO85 - Participations in joint training schemes: 256
- RCO87 - Organizations cooperating across borders: 5
- PSO4 - Investments in education, training and life-long learning services: 2
- PSR4 Annual users of the supported investments in education, training and life-long learning services: 200
- RCR81 - Completion of joint training schemes: 256
- RCR84 - Organizations cooperating across borders after project completion: 3
Status
The formal framework for the future Cross-Border Academy for Intelligent Industry has been established. To this end, the project partners signed a Partnership Agreement in October 2025, which sets out the operating framework for the Academy and its two operational centers, one in Ruse and one in Craiova.
Additionally, the Lead Partner has developed the Operational Manual, which establishes the procedural rules and operational details of the Academy.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:
The draft Communication and Dissemination Strategy and Brand Book were prepared. The project was launched via a trilingual blog( https://brcc.bg/public/en/projects/p/skillsbridge-cross-border-academy-for-smart-industry-competence-and-future-excellence; https://brcc.bg/bg/sabitia/s/parva-sreshta-po-proekta-skillsbridge; https://brcc.bg/bg/novini/n/skillsbridge-sazdava-transgranichna-akademia-za-industria-4-0), social media updates(Project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584965007060), and a successful information event in Ruse.