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Under the leadership of the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași (TUIASI), the BI4E – Boosting INGENIUM for Excellence project has reached its natural conclusion—and with it, a new chapter begins for the INGENIUM European University Alliance. The final event, “Passing the Torch”, held on 4–5 September 2025 at the University of Oviedo, Spain, served as both a celebration of achievements and a symbolic transfer of responsibility from BI4E to INGENIUM.

A Three-Year Journey, A Lasting Impact

Since its inception in 2022 under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, BI4E was conceived to fortify institutional capacities, foster cross-border collaboration, and accelerate excellence across the INGENIUM alliance’s partner institutions. Over its three-year duration, BI4E not only fulfilled its objectives, but also provided the critical impetus that supported the European Commission’s approval of the INGENIUM European University initiative. Through strategic interventions in governance, research quality, technology transfer, and alliance structuring, BI4E has laid essential groundwork for the sustainable future of INGENIUM.

Oviedo: Passing the Torch

The closing event in Oviedo was structured to both reflect on BI4E’s legacy and to chart the next steps for INGENIUM. The agenda featured:

• Opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Eng. Irina Lungu (TUIASI, BI4E Project Coordinator) and by representatives from the University of Oviedo, followed by a presentation of the project’s results.
• Three thematic panels:
  1. “The BI4E Research Experience: Excellence, Integrity and New Synergies” — addressing how BI4E improved collaboration, research integrity, and synergy across widening and non-widening partners.
  2. “Handing Over BI4E’s Success: Embedding Project Results and BI4E’s Strategic Advisory Council in the INGENIUM European University” — focusing on integrating BI4E outcomes into INGENIUM’s governance and long-term structure.
  3. “From BI4E to the World: Empowering Entrepreneurship and Scaling Innovation through Technology Transfer and Service Catalogues” — discussing how the project’s technology transfer instruments and service catalogs can support innovation and commercialization across the alliance.
• The symbolic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing the INGENIUM Network of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), formalizing cooperation in intellectual property, commercialization, staff mobility, and joint proposals.
• Strategic institutional meetings and working sessions, including separate gatherings of the BI4E Steering Committee and Strategic Advisory Council, to define how the structures built under BI4E will be integrated into the emerging INGENIUM European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC).

TUIASI’s Role: Leadership and Commitment

As coordinator of BI4E, TUIASI’s faculty and staff played an integral role in driving the project to its successful conclusion. Within the framework of the closing event:

• Prof. Dr. Eng. Irina Lungu opened the ceremony and delivered an overarching presentation of BI4E’s accomplishments and future orientation.
• Lecturer Dr. Eng. Ciprian Comșa participated as a panel speaker in Panel 3, highlighting strategies for entrepreneurship and technology transfer within INGENIUM.
• Lecturer Dr. Eng. Ionuț Toma and Lecturer Dr. Eng. Nicolae Lucanu contributed their insights in working sessions and strategic reflections.
• Eng. Gabriela Iftode, as the project’s Operational Coordinator, presented the final status of deliverables and reporting in the Steering Committee meeting.
• Prof. Dr. Eng. Iulian Ciocoiu, a member of the Steering Committee, participated actively in shaping the post-BI4E strategic orientation.

Through these contributions, TUIASI reaffirmed its commitment to excellence, cross-institutional collaboration, and the sustainability of INGENIUM’s framework.

The Legacy Carried Forward

While BI4E has officially concluded, its outcomes have been thoughtfully embedded into INGENIUM’s structures. The MoU for the INGENIUM TTO Network, the incorporation of the Strategic Advisory Council into the future EGTC, and the governance models devised during BI4E all serve as bridges into the Alliance’s future.

For TUIASI, the conclusion of BI4E is not an ending, but a transition: from leading a project to stewarding its results, as part of a broader European university alliance. We look forward to contributing actively to INGENIUM’s growth, leveraging the momentum of BI4E to shape a future of research, innovation, and collaboration across Europe.