The initiatives of the project “Balkan Vegetables Research Centre for transfer of European knowledge, research and practice” aim to support the progress of Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute (VCRI) to be reinforced as a leading research center for Balkan region in the field of vegetable science.  Project activities comprise:

1) Lectures held by prominent researchers from leading European Institutes to transfer the recent achievements of European science; 

2) Enhancement the professional level of young researchers and exchange of know-how and experience for senior scientists in relevant advanced European Institutes; 

3) Improvement and up grading the technical status of Maritsa VCRI; 

4) Establishment of Maritsa VCRI as a dissemination centre and promoter of European knowledge and practice in the field of vegetable science on Balkans by active collaboration between relative institutes; 

5) Support of Maritsa Technology Transfer Office (TTO) as an innovative interface between the Institute and vegetable producers and processors to transfer the advanced European technologies. 

All the project activities are fulfilled in collaboration with the prestige European research institutes as Research Unit for Genetic Improvement of Fruit and Vegetables - Plant Breeding and Genetics Department, INRA, Monfavet, France; Research Institute of Organic Farming (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; Wageningen University and Research Center, The Netherlands; Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Bari, Italy; Metapontum Agrobios, Metaponto,  Italy; The Development Agency East Netherlands (Oost NV) as well as relative institutes on Balkans.