The overall aim of the KhAI-ERA project is to integrate the National Aerospace University (KhAI) into ERA, by reinforcing its cooperation capacities and twinning with European research and innovation organisations in its 3 strongest aerospace and IT research topics: A) Composite Materials, B) Advanced Manufacturing for Aircraft Assembly, and C) Dependable Embedded Systems. These are topics highly relevant to the FP7 Transport, Space, ICT and Research for SMEs work programmes. KhAI is the only university in Ukraine providing the full cycle of higher education in aerospace science. It has over 1146 researchers, 700 teachers and 12,000 students. The university has strong relationship with aerospace and machine-building industry in Kharkiv region and key Ukrainian enterprises. KhAI participates in many national and international R&D projects with public and private partners (e.g. STCU, Tempus, Boeing, Sukhoy, etc). Also, KhAI is scheduled to become the FP7 Aeronautics NCP for Ukraine. The KhAI-ERA project will build upon KhAI’s existing strengths as a high-quality research institution via twinning and capacity building activities with the following 4 excellent European research and innovation organisations: Institute of Aerospace Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation, Centre for Integrated Electronic Systems and Biomedical Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, and Intelligentsia Consultants. The capacity building activities will involve knowledge exchange, setting up joint experiments, and training development for KhAI researchers focused on composite materials, advanced manufacturing for aircraft assembly,dependable embedded systems, and the FP7 programme. Also, it will involve dissemination and strategy development to support the KhAI organisation.KhAI-ERA will be overseen by a steering committee involving the consortium partners plus members of the Ukrainian government, Airbus and ASD.