The main objective of the project is to strength the role of Higher engineering education in the innovation-based regional development. The traditional engineering curricula are focused on engineering science and do not provide sufficient design experiences and to students. Higher education institution should engage in closer cooperation with the industry to overcome such weaknesses. Higher education institution students should acquire more practical skills in engineering design and development of innovative products as well as rapid prototyping. Industry and higher education institution cooperation is beneficial for both sides, especially for SMEs that could use fewer resources for solution of non-urgent issues and even for development of new products. Often the cooperation is restricted to only one industry-driven project or real-life case. Involvement of regional authorities (regional government) makes possible the transition from “case to case” approach in the selection of industrial partners to a more structured and long-term cooperation between universities and industry facilitated by the regional authorities. The main project outcome will be created of sustainable partnership model among universities, communities and industry in the region. Sustainable partnership model among universities, regional authorities and industry in the region that increases quality of the higher education and strengths its role in the innovation-based regional development. A critical element of a successful partnership is acknowledgment that universities and communities have their unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs, and a reasonable mutual perception of such partnership. Such partnership model will contribute teaching activities for engineering students that combine theory and practice in a context of real engineering application challenges. Industry- and/or community- driven projects will go through all steps of the developed partnership model starting from adaption of the study methods till presentation of created product prototypes and assessment of study results. Students will experience the different stages of product development: conception, design, simulation, analysis, manufacture and testing, using rapid prototyping methods and tools. The project partners will create also the set of guidelines that facilitates implementation of sustainable partnership model among universities, regional authorities and industry in the region. This set includes the guidelines for implementation of skills relevant to engineering design and development of innovative products in the engineering curriculum and guidelines and examples for using rapid prototyping to acquire practical skills in product design engineering. The development of sustainable partnership model and supporting guidelines will be based on analysis of engineering skills for innovative product design based on regional needs. The main version of the sustainable partnership model and accompanied guidelines and will be created in English, and translated to the partner languages (Latvian, French and Greek) and adapted taking account national traditions, legislation, educational and business environment. The project will start in October of 2017 and will run for two years.