  [Context] Software Engineering (SE) education constantly seeks to bridge the
gap between academic knowledge and industry demands, with active learning
methods like Problem-Based Learning (PBL) gaining prominence. Despite these
efforts, recent graduates struggle to align skills with industry needs.
Recognizing the relevance of Industry-Academia Collaboration (IAC), Lean R&D
has emerged as a successful agile-based research and development approach,
emphasizing business and software development synergy. [Goal] This paper aims
to extend Lean R&D with PBL principles, evaluating its application in an
educational program designed by ExACTa PUC- Rio for Americanas S.A., a large
Brazilian retail company. [Method] The educational program engaged 40 part-time
students receiving lectures and mentoring while working on real problems,
coordinators and mentors, and company stakeholders in industry projects.
Empirical evaluation, through a case study approach, utilized structured
questionnaires based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). [Results]
Stakeholders were satisfied with Lean R&D PBL for problem-solving. Students
reported increased knowledge proficiency and perceived working on real problems
as contributing the most to their learning. [Conclusion] This research
contributes to academia by sharing Lean R&D PBL as an educational IAC approach.
For industry, we discuss the implementation of this proposal in an IAC program
that promotes workforce skill development and innovative solutions.
