Case-based teaching is widely recognized as an effective approach to bridging the theory-practice gap in engineering education and cultivating the non-technical competencies of outstanding engineers. However, systematically building a high-quality case repository remains an organizational challenge that has received limited scholarly attention. Drawing on the SECI (Socialization-Externalization-Combination-Internalization) model from knowledge management theory, this study examines the "321" case repository development model implemented at China University of Petroleum (Beijing) over more than a decade. The findings reveal three key mechanisms: (1) the three-tier platform (school-university-national) constitutes an integrated "Ba" for knowledge conversion, facilitating the transformation of enterprises' tacit experience into systematic explicit cases; (2) the two-dimensional driving mechanism—institutional coordination between university and school, and faculty-student co-creation embedded in enterprise partnerships—provides institutional safeguards and core momentum, with the latter effectively activating externalization and achieving value co-creation; and (3) the singular core objective of serving talent cultivation and enterprise management innovation drives knowledge through a complete conversion spiral, internalizing it as students' practical competencies while feeding back into industry. The model has been successfully transferred to engineering professional degree education, supporting multiple engineering schools in securing Ministry of Education themed case projects. This study elevates case repository building from experiential practice to theoretical awareness, offering a systematic solution for industry-education integration and outstanding engineer cultivation.

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