Agile framework for managing capstone projects involving university-business cooperation

University–Business Cooperation in capstone projects often faces significant managerial tensions due to misaligned expectations and conflicting timelines. This study addresses the challenge of industrial partner satisfaction by developing and assessing a coordination framework that integrates Challenge-Based Learning with agile principles. Using participant observation, semi-structured interviews with students, faculty, and industry partners, and a qualitative case study, this research frames capstone coordination as an “academic orchestration” problem. The proposed framework introduces specific mechanisms, including structured sprint governance, role differentiation, and digitally mediated alignment to manage high-interaction environments. The results, highlighted by a case study with the industrial partner Ternium, demonstrate that this agile approach exceeded partner expectations and enabled the delivery of functional and innovative prototypes within a compressed 10-week timeframe. The study concludes by presenting a generalized version of the framework designed for academic environments with varying resources.