The University-Industry (U-I) cooperation has been recognized as an essential strategy for innovation between scientificand business society. However, this partnership is not easy to manage; different points of view, objectives and motivations can drift them apart from its goal. As a result, understand the Critical Success Factors (CSF) involved in cooperation projects might represent a fruitful advantage for both sides. This article proposes a holistic model of five dimensions: organizational context, team leadership, execution & control, team structure, and team processes. Our research carried through a case of study in the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry, comparing all of the success factors concerning three variables: cost, schedule, and operability; thus, aim at eight underestimated critical success factors.