All the courses are characterised by a special emphasis on practical orientation. A close network is maintained and utilised for teaching and its further development together with partner companies and alumni, for example, through a separate sponsorship association, Jenaer Wirtschaftsingenieure. This is also reflected in the final theses, most of which are completed at companies. Scientific findings are also implemented within the framework of development projects. In addition, excursions are an integral part of the Bachelor's and Master's courses.

In an increasingly globalised and networked global economy, the department considers it necessary to focus not only on subject and methodological know-how, but also on cross-cultural skills. Students can choose from a large number of partner universities (e.g. USA, South Africa, Namibia, China, Vietnam, Jordan, Mexico, Peru) and complete parts of their studies there. There are also annual summer schools, and international visiting lecturers are invited regularly via German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) projects.

Francis Marion University in Florence, USA; Cape Town University, Südafrika; Tongji University Shanghai, China; Swiss-German-University Jakarta, Indonesien; Universidad de Quintana Roo, Mexiko; Clemson University, USA; German-Jordanian University, Jordanien; Namibia University of Science and Technology in Windhoek, Namibia; Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos Lima, Peru; Universidad San Pedro, Peru; Universidad de Medellin, Kolumbien; Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The department has extensive and modern laboratory equipment, which has been expanded significantly in recent years through industry partnerships and research projects. For example, there are laboratories for production management and work science, robotics, factory design and simulation, production engineering/precision machining, information and communication technology, assembly engineering and environmental engineering.

The promotion of start-ups has high priority at the department. Since 2011, all start-up-related activities of the EAH Jena have been combined in the Circle of Excellence Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The department is closely linked to it. In 2015, the Ernst-Abbe University in Jena was named one of the most active university in the acquisition of start-up scholarships. Based on the most recent EXIST ranking, the EAH Jena is among the TOP 10 German universities and universities of applied sciences in this respect.