Today, in a framework of dialogue and social responsibility, the West University of Timișoara was established "Group of Strategic Partners – GPS UVT”, independent advisory structure through which UVT adapts and promotes its public role, especially as a trainer in education and as a center for strategic thinking in the community.

The group brings together a number of personalities recognized in the community for the positive role they have assumed in the local and national public space, for the strategic leadership they have promoted and their professional probity.

The rector of UVT, prof. univ. dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, initiator of the new advisory group, constantly advocated, throughout the last years, for the generation and assumption of strategic ideas, together with established leaders of the socio-economic environment, ideas necessary for the innovative orientation of a community's ecosystem. In this way, the proposal of a consultative format for strategic thinking at UVT was outlined, being invited to the "Strategic Partners Group - UVT GPS" a series of established personalities from the Romanian entrepreneurial environment, but also in the corporate management sector from international companies present in the local economy, some of them being also UVT Alumni.

They responded to the invitation launched by the rector of UVT, prof.univ.dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, and participated in the first debate of the "Strategic Partners Group - UVT GPS", well-known local and national personalities and leaders: Adrian Bădescu - CEO Clinicile Medici's, Raul Buzgar - Production Country LeaderDecathlon, Iulian Dascălu - CEOIulius Group , Cătălina Dodu – Global CyberSecurity Services PreSales DirectorAtos IT Solutions and Services, Anca Flueraș – Area Retail Manager Banca Comercială Română, Florin Godean – Country Manager Adecco Romania, Andrei Herczeg – Manager Egeria & president of Fundația Herczeg, Cornel Huzău – Plant General Manager ZF TRW Romania, Darius Jumanca – CEO Metaltim, Alexander Klein – General Manager & VP Operations Flex, Romulus Lucaciu – General Manager Eta2U, Sorin Maxim – General Manager ADR West, Șerban Negru – Director Oncohelp, Raluca Românu – General Manager Bosch Service Solutions Romania, Mircea Stoian – CEO Gauss, Sabin Totorean – Global Enterprise & Public Sector Sales Director Nokia and Ilie Vlaicu- Director General Aquatim.

The mission of GPS is to be a partner of the UVT executive management for the development and implementation of the strategic projects of the university, as a center of innovative thinking in the community, by generating analyzes and recommendations regarding the directions and objectives of strategic development in the field of education, scientific research, artistic creation and sports performance, based on the practical experience of the members GPS, recognized leaders in the community. Through the new consultative format of strategic thinking, the development of the university will align with the actual needs of the socio-economic environment, and UVT will have the opportunity to dynamically contribute to the sustainable development of the region.

Within this strategic development and elaboration group, concrete projects will be proposed and supported the basic pillars of UVT construction for 2030, in areas of innovation that are already priorities for the EU:

• Digital – artificial intelligence, robotics, high tech, cyber security, test bed for validating new technologies;

• Green – sustainable and smart buildings, green urban spaces, sustainable education, sustainable finance, eco-technologies, green energy;

• Health & Wellbeing - improving the quality of life through creative arts, culture, sports, integrated recovery through kinetotherapy, psychotherapy, telerehabilitation programs, nutrition.

Once the concrete projects will materialize, UVT will have a substantial participation in building the regional ecosystem, with great national and international visibility, just as it happened in the case of the well-known development areas Silicon Valley, Kendall Square Cambridge, MIT - in the USA , or Block 17 – from Singapore, where the developments of these innovative accelerators have allowed the academic, research and socio-economic environments to mutually empower each other.

Since the establishment of this strategic thinking group, the main ones have been outlined priorities of the Western University of Timișoara for 2030:

• Co-creation and co-design of study programs – to form quality graduates and human capital: on the basis of partnerships, a series of talents for industry and the community are developed, concrete career opportunities are created for students, starting with internships / internships / private scholarships, up to full-time jobs and applied research assignments;

• Projects of regional interest - which will be the basis of active, real and sustainable partnerships, focused on experiential learning, as in the partnerships between industry and the university environment, through which university and postgraduate programs are generated, in which the situations of risk, concrete cases and specific sensitivities, often encountered in the business environment;

• Innovation and technology transfer – through experimental laboratories, focused on certain types of activities: testing (automotive, IT, gaming, AI), development of prototypes (AI, biochemistry, production);

• Entrepreneurship - after start-up – mentoring programs and business development with the expertise of specialists from the private sector, for UVT graduates, young entrepreneurs.

• Culture and creative industries – holistic approach to products and services dedicated to the community/citizens to increase the degree of societal maturity and acceptance of the results of research, innovation and technology transfer activities.