The application of Lean Production methods is nowadays commonplace in high-volume producers, yet developments are lagging in the customized product-environment. Because of the low repeatability of products and the high variance of manufacturing processes, the implementation of traditional Lean techniques in this type of industry is challenging. Lean approaches for so-called project manufacturing or customized manufacturing are required. Some alternative approaches for “Customized Lean” do exist, but these are far less known for two reasons. First, they are often applied ad-hoc according to a specific local situation, and second, the existing body of knowledge on Customized Lean is fragmented and scattered across academic and management literature and/or contained by individual practitioners and researchers and therefor, often not included in educational programs and teaching materials. To unify this body of knowledge a transnational approach is required. Addressing these issues contributes to EU priorities of improving the relevance of higher education eventually resulting in higher attainment levels to provide the graduates Europe needs. These graduates will be better suited for, and thus better employable in todays and future labor market which is important in the Europe 2020 strategy. Euro-LEAN+ seeks to combine innovative teaching approaches with the development of more relevant HE curricula in the field of Customized Lean, through the exploitation of the geographically dispersed knowledge contained within the consortium. The objective of Euro-LEAN+ is to create, unify, capture, reuse and disseminate the knowledge on Customized Lean. Euro-LEAN+ will: 1) Form a Customized Lean Knowledge Community (O1) In order to create, unify, capture, reuse and disseminate the knowledge on Customized Lean, Euro-LEAN+ will create an open Customized Lean Knowledge Community that brings together higher education students, academic staff and industrial manufacturing companies 2) Set up Euro-LEAN Knowledge Base (O2) A knowledge base of case studies and best practices will be created that brings together the knowledge that is currently scattered across literature, practice and HEIs. This knowledge base will have an open character 3) Develop Online Master Course (O3) Euro-LEAN+ will develop a master course on Customized Lean that utilizes new and innovative ways of teaching and learning, enabling close interaction with industry through case studies and online discussion forums 4) Feasibility Study of a Joint Master Program (O4) 5) Multiplier event (E1) Participants; 1) NTNU (Dept. of Production and Quality Engineering) - expertise in global production strategy, lean production logistics, and supply chain management. 2) HAN University of Applied Sciences –experience in teaching a customized Lean and QRM and industry projects. Also globally active research group in Lean for HE. 3) University of Applied Science Osnabrück - experience in research and teaching in the interdisciplinary field of lean management and technology, and applied science approaches to development of SMEs. 4) Ghent - expertise in the areas of operational excellence, and tools and technologies for remote and blended learning. Prof. Frank Gielen is counsel to the European Commission on online teaching strategies. 5) TNO – research organization with large network in industry and previous (EU) project experience in collecting cases and best practices into databases. 6) Kongsberg Maritime – Norwegian producer of subsea solutions 7) Bosch Hinges – Dutch producer of bespoke hinges and exemplar for QRM principles. G. Kaanen, director and owner is also chairman of the royal Dutch ‘Metaalunie’ 8) Ringoplast – German producer of bespoke containers Target groups: Master students (university and industry), teaching staff, research community, and industrial companies. Our methodology will be based on the proactive development of an online Masters course and virtual mobility platform in close collaboration between HE institutions and industrial companies. Results and Impact: Project website; New (blended mobility) Masters level course; Euro-LEAN+ Knowledge community; Knowledge base with a conceptual framework framing Customized Lean knowledge in the form of theory (Wiki), case studies and best practices; Plan to establish an Erasmus+ joint master program (JMP); The development of staff & student mobility; Teaching staff experience with modern teaching methods, final Euro-LEAN+ conference, collaborative webinars. Longer term benefits; The partners will work to extend the knowledge community activities beyond the participating project partners. We will continue to aspire to the aims of the Erasmus+ initiatives of the EU, in particular in increasing the quality and relevance in online education. Euro-LEAN+ will facilitate further steps towards addressing the gap between the required skills of high-tech European manufacturers and the skills provided by HEIs