During November 15-16, 2023, within the ERASMUS+ project "South Mediterranean Tunisian Maintenance Centre of Excellence/SM-TMC", a group of 12 professors from the Universities of Sfax, Jendouba, Carthage and Gabes from Tunisia, France, Spain, and a representative of EWF – European Welding Federation, participated at the annual management and training meeting.

The delegation included the leading representatives of the university life in Tunisia and France: The Rector of the University of Sfax, Vice-rectors of the Universities of Sfax and Jendouba, the Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Jenjdouba, and the Deputy Director of the School of Entrepreneurship at Lyon 3 University, Jean Moulin. The meeting was organized by the Department of Manufacturing Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering, through professor Viorel Paunoiu, PhD, responsible for this project on behalf of the university.

The delegations from abroad were received by professor Puiu-Lucian GEORGESCU, PhD, Rector of "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, by professor Sivius STANCIU, PhD, Vice-Rector for Research Activity of the University, and professor Catalin FETECAU, PhD, President of the University Senate, professor Elena SCUTELNICU, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Assoc. Professor Florin SUSAC, PhD, Head of Manufacturing Engineering Department. In addition to the discussions related to the project-specific issues, the members of the delegation actively participated in the Technology Transfer Fair, 2nd Edition, 2023 and visited several laboratories of the Faculties of Engineering, Food Science and Engineering, Automation, Computers, Electrical Engineering and Electronics.

The delegation visited the research vessel REXDAN and the DAMEN Shipyard. The participants from abroad noted the material base of the University, the results of the research obtained by the visited teams and the dynamism they brought to the teaching staff, who work at the faculty level. In closing, the lines of action for the next year of the project were drawn and a series of future directions of long-term collaboration were identified, both in terms of education and research.