The aim of our proposal is to enhance and extend existing networks with the goal to develop and transfer optimization models and solution techniques from theory to practice.Since this step is often neglected in academic optimization theory there is the need to motivate research by real world problems in order to bridge the current gap between theory and practice. Each of the participating sites recognized that such a transfer is an important goal for the mutual benefit of researchers and practitioners. Each site has found pathways to overcome obstacles and to make optimization work in practice within their own national environment in many examples. We now want to join forces and learn from each other's expertise in order to jointly push the boundaries of optimization further towards practice in an international context.The goal will be achieved by a long-term cooperation in which we will share our knowledge about modelling, solving and implementing solutions to real-world problems within a continuing series of lectures, courses, seminars, and project works. In order to increase the impact of our cooperation we will in this proposal also focus on early-stage researchers and PhD students who will help spreading our ideas and techniques to industry and in this way contribute to a long lastingcooperation. Starting from case studies and project work which already has been done at any one of the participating sites we will identify new mathematical challenges stemming from real-world applications. This will enforce high-level research in these areas which will be carried out together with the participating PhD students on an international basis. In order to make our research results visible we will collect and publish case studies and project work and present the major results to industry in special workshops. We expect that this motivates international cooperation not only between universities but also between academics and industry.