Strengthening the university–industry relationship: A case study of the electronics department, TEI CreteStrengthening the university–industry relationship: A case study of the electronics department, TEI Crete Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2015-10-272012enThe Department of Electronics of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete (DoE/TEI Crete) enjoys good approval ratings from the market and its graduates have a high rate of employability. However, survey data collected over the last ten years from graduates and from the enterprises in which they have been employed, or have carried out their workplace learning, indicate the strong and weak aspects of the Department's curriculum from the viewpoint of the job market. The authors identify issues that may improve the access of their graduates to the market and which may also bring enterprises closer to the DoE, thus offering both parties the opportunity to establish internships for research. It is proposed that the time is now right for a next step to be made towards achieving cooperative engineering education and the authors offer suggestions as to how this might be achieved.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Industry and Higher Education264301-307 Liodakis Georgios Λιοδακης Γεωργιος Ioannis O.Vardiambasis Evangelos Kartsonakis Ioannis A. Kaliakatsos IP Publishing Higher education, Employer-supported Industry-sponsored higher education employer supported higher education higher education employer supported industry sponsored higher education