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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of benefit to learning through developing strong links between universities and industry, and to suggest a methodology for building bridges between university and industry that provides a full learning experience for students. Design/methodology/approach - A case study approach which included the development of interactive projects that join students with industry, and follow-up questionnaire surveys of the outcomes, carried out among students and businesses. Findings - It was found that both parties feel that they benefit from building bridges between universities and industry, and data from this research are reported on in greater detail in the latter part of this article Research limitations/implications - Research is limited to students following the Manufacturing Management and Quality Systems courses within the Industrial Engineering Department of the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, over a one year period. Practical implications - Provides evidence for a positive factor that linking university students and industry in joint projects increases the potential for a fuller learning experience for the students. Originality/value - The paper is based on actual experience of students, teachers and companies who participated in this experimental learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]