The Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry has taken a key step towards supporting business and developing modern skills in the region. The installation of the latest generation of high-tech industrial equipment has officially started in the Chamber’s building. With the delivery of this precise equipment, the creation of the Bulgarian center of the future Cross-Border Academy for Smart Industry by project SkillsBridge (ROBG00324).

To ensure flawless administration of the base and maintenance of the precision equipment, the RTIK team has already undergone intensive basic training. Through it, the Chamber's experts were introduced in detail to the basic operations, programs, software functions and safety requirements. This preparatory action ensures that the team is fully prepared to provide administrative and technical assistance to the lecturers and participants as soon as the actual practical activities begin.

Technological base without analogues in Northern Bulgaria

Investment in educational and research infrastructure provides access to specialized equipment from the world leader in automation SMC International, as well as modern cobots from Universal Robots. What is specific about this equipment is that it works with real industrial components and modules, completely identical to those implemented in modern factories. An important advantage of the delivered stations and modules is their complete mobility. All stands are designed as independent, compact and easily movable units. This allows for exceptional flexibility in reorganizing the training space in the Chamber's halls, quickly adjusting the configurations according to the needs of the specific practical activity and even the possibility of conducting external presentations and demonstrations to businesses and educational institutions. Such training facilities in Bulgaria have so far been concentrated mainly in Southern Bulgaria (Thrace Economic Zone), which makes the new center in Ruse a strategic asset for the entire Northern region.

The equipment will be distributed in three specialized training laboratories in Ruse:

Laboratory of pneumatics, electropneumatics and vacuum technology – aimed at studying the basics of industrial fluid propulsion and control.
Mechatronics and Automated Systems Laboratory – built around the modular assembly system SMC MAS-200. It simulates a real assembly line and features software for intentionally generating system errors, which develops key skills in trainees for diagnosing and quickly repairing faults in a real environment.
Industrial Robotics Laboratory – equipped with a collaborative robot (cobot) designed for precise operations and safe collaboration side by side with humans.

Mirror infrastructure in Craiova, Romania

The SkillsBridge project is implementing a truly cross-border approach, while also developing the capacity of the partner organization in Romania. The training center in Craiova is now also fully equipped and has its own three specialized areas, which complement the general framework of the future Academy:

Hydraulics and Electrohydraulics Laboratory;
Laboratory of Electricity and Electric Motors;
Industrial Controllers Laboratory.

Long-term vision for the future and social inclusion

The establishment of the Cross-Border Academy for Smart Industry goes beyond the framework of standard technological innovation. The project aims to build a long-term partnership between business and academia in both countries, which will continue to function actively even after the official completion of the project activities.

The key pillars and objectives of the initiative include:

Joint training programs: Experts from Bulgaria and Romania will develop integrated courses combining face-to-face practical sessions in modern laboratories with flexible virtual learning modules.
Increasing employment in the region: The programs will train participants in practical and applicable skills directly sought after by high-tech and fast-growing industries in the cross-border region.
Equal access and support for vulnerable groups: A special focus will be placed on attracting and including people from vulnerable or disadvantaged groups – including young people who are neither in employment, education nor training (NEETs) and residents of remote and rural areas. The aim is to improve their qualifications and increase their competitiveness in the labour market.
Research and good practices: The project partners will engage in researching best practices in the sector, and the collected data will support the development of quality and modern educational programs.
Joint training programs at the Academy: These programs will be implemented for the training at the Cross-Border Academy, combining face-to-face practical sessions in modern laboratories with flexible virtual modules, fully tailored to the needs of the labor market in Romania and Bulgaria.

The installation of the equipment and the preparation of the curricula are in an advanced phase. RTIK invites representatives of business, academia and all citizens wishing to acquire new knowledge in the field of automation to follow the official channels of the Chamber, where the full program of the upcoming events will be announced soon. free practical classes, as well as Facebook page on SkillsBridge.

The project “Cross-Border Academy for Smart Industry Competence and Future Excellence” (SkillsBridge) ROBG00324 is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme.