The overall objective of the project aims to increase the relevance of doctoral and post-doctoral programs through the development of applied and advanced research competencies of 90 PhD students enrolled in the last year of doctoral studies and 26 post-doctoral researchers studying in the fields of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Transport Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Engineering and Management, Environmental Engineering, Materials Engineering and Aerospace Engineering by providing financial support, their participation in a pedagogical training program, complementary courses modules and by encouraging networking activities in order to develop/strengthen sustainable partnerships with economic agents and other relevant RDI actors, in areas of smart specialisation according to SNCDI, with a focus on the economic sectors with competitive potential identified — CNS. The proposed project has a duration of 18 months and contributes to the achievement of the specific objective of POCU (O.S.6.13) through the following main actions: facilitating the access of doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers to a competitive workplace as a result of participation in applied and advanced research activities at economic agents and other relevant actors in the areas covered by the project, ensuring the transfer of research results, development and innovation in both directions, in order to increase the attractiveness of the research career; — carrying out research activities with the applicative component, relevant to the topic of doctoral/post-doctorate chosen by doctoral students/post-doctoral students; — conducting advanced research skills training activities related to the topic of doctoral/post-doctoral studies; — promoting the concept of networking for the target group by organising peer learning sessions, scientific debates, exchange of good practices; as well as stimulating the effective transfer in the economic sector, to and from the business environment, of the results of research, development and innovation through the creation of partnerships. All this in order to develop the research infrastructure prepared for the challenges of Open Science and to support public-private partnerships; —development/implementation of training/training programs for the target group: a pedagogical training program, modules of complementary courses (Valorisation of Research Results, Equal Opportunities and Open Science) in order to acquire by GT members some skills regarding personal and professional development. The study areas covered by the project fall within the fields of smart specialisation according to SNCDI 2014-2020, contributing to the achievement of the measures stipulated in the research and innovation strategies for Romania in 2020, as well as the National Strategy for Tertiary Education 2015-2020. At the same time, the purpose of the project is part of the Thematic Objective