University role in the development of future high-tech engineers

University education shapes the profile of the future engineers. Although generally the curriculum focuses mostly on teaching the technical knowledge, other skills should also be developed/ encouraged - either in a planned manner, or at least implicitly. Regarding the technical knowledge, there is much debate on whether the University should focus on fundamental knowledge or detailed specialization, or on specific areas, tailored to major employers needs. Therefore, this study aims to presenting the particular needs of today´s high-tech companies present on the Romanian market, as well as some very concrete ways in which technical Universities could also contribute in developing the future engineers´ nontechnical skills and competencies, as demanded by modern hightech projects. The findings and recommendations given in this paper are mainly based on the author´s extensive expertise, gathered over the last 15 years, both as member of academia and through close collaborations and discussions with engineers/ managers at all levels from several multinationals, as well as SMEs in high-tech industry in Romania, the UK, Germany, USA.