In a strategic move to bridge the gap between academic and industrial needs, the College of Mechanical, Chemical, and Materials Engineering (CoMCME) at Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU) successfully conducted a series of industry visits from April 3 to April 8, 2025. The program was jointly coordinated by the Dean's Office and the Research and Technology Transfer Coordinator Office of the college.

The primary goal of the initiative was to enhance University-Industry collaboration by enabling faculty members to gain first-hand exposure to the real-world challenges faced by industries. These insights will serve as a foundation for developing practical, problem-solving research projects that are aligned with ASTU’s thematic research areas. Academic staff from the Departments of Chemical Engineering (Dr. Negesso Wakushie, Dr. Ashenafi Hailu, Dr. Asfawosen Mamo, Dr. Melaku Tesfaye), Mechanical Engineering (Dr. Deresse Firew, Dr. Addisu Bekele, Dr. Tedros Belay, Dr. Amanuel Gebisa), and Materials Science and Engineering (Dr. Fekadu Gochole, Dr. Shimelis Lema, Miss Sorome Diriba) were selected to take part in the visit program. Their participation aimed to promote interdisciplinary research approaches and encourage the development of applied solutions to industrial problems.

The nominated faculty members visited five major industries (Ethiopian Pulp and Paper S.C, Wonji Shoa Sugar Factory, Adama Liyu Economic Zone, Oromia Plastic Pipe PLC, and Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise).

The visits provided an excellent platform for faculty members to:

• Engage directly with industry leaders and technical experts
• Identify critical challenges that industries are currently facing
• Explore opportunities for joint research and development projects
• Collect valuable information to develop context-driven research proposals

This program is expected to enhance the relevance and impact of ASTU’s research, promote technology transfer, and foster long-term partnerships between the university and the industrial sector.