The aim of the EU-funded project SOMPATY is the exchange of personnel and cooperation in research and education between universities and research institutions from Azerbaijan, Germany, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. This is intended to strengthen links in research between Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (the CIS was established at the end of 1991 after the end of the USSR). The participating research institutions have a strong research focus on spectral optimization and its application areas in nanotechnology, life sciences, and quantum mechanics. Four project events (one per year) are planned for the period from 2020 to 2024. Each event will include a workshop, a summer course, open access reports and public outreach activities.