Open doors days were held at the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on 29 and 30 November 2011. The event was organized by the project ReProForce, "REINFORCEMENT OF THE RESEARCH CAPACITY OF THE BULGARIAN INSTITUTE “BIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION”, funded by the FP7 EU.

The aims of the event were:

• To show the traditions, the present and the national and European partnerships of the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad K. Bratanov";
• To report the ReProForce project activities;
• To demonstrate the scientific and practical results obtained by the IBIR scientists and project activities;
• To show the obtained latest results of experimental and applied research by the usage of equipment purchased by ReProForce;
• To popularize the opportunities for collaborative research with partners from other research institutes and businesses.

The IBIR Open doors days were visited by the Deputy President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. A. Popov, who welcomed the guests and IBIR scientists. A congratulation letter from the Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov was read to the audience.

The guests of IBIR Open doors days numbered over 90 people. Representatives and scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Sofia; Faculty of Veterinary, University of Forestry; Faculty of Biology, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"; Institute of Agrobiology-Sofia; Institute of livestock – Shumen; Institute of livestock – Kostinbrod; Institute of Mountain breeding – Troyan; Institute " Pushkarov"; Executive Agency for livestock; State Agency for food control; centers for reproductive health; private livestock associations, companies and media were among them.

Multimedia film showing the scientific achievements of IBIR scientists was presented to all participants.

At the IBIR Open doors days two reports were presented:

• Traditions, present and open doors for partnerships of the IBIR in the National and European scientific research area by Prof. Dimitrina Kacheva - Director of IBIR;
• Report of the activities of ReProForce project by Asoc. Prof. Margarita Mollova- Coordinator of the project.

Specialized exhibition of posters presenting research results previously shown at international scientific forums was prepared for the visitors. ReProForce project activities like meetings, visits and mobility of IBIR scientists to partners’ centers could be evaluated by the materials exhibited on special panels.
The latest results in experimental and applied research of young IBIR scientists provoked a particular interest among the visitors. New equipment purchased by ReProForce and other projects funds increase the opportunities for research in the Institute. The interest in the possibilities of the equipment and demonstrated results was the basis for discussions about the potential for joint research including business partners.

On the second day of the Open doors days, ELTA 90 and Diamed companies were given an opportunity to present new generation personalized sequencing and microarray analyses.

Both presentations provoked big interest. There were discussions about the possibilities of presented technologies for their use in fundamental and practical research.

The IBIR Open doors days enabled to widely promote the specific objectives of ReProForce project, associated with increased research and technical capacity of the Institute and to increase IBIR’s visibility in the country. Besides the main activities of bilateral mobility of scientists, organization of joint scientific workshops, creation of scientific networks with partners and local popularization of the project results and research of IBIR were announced to the audience.

Conditions were created for establishing contacts between scientists from IBIR, other institutes and business representatives. New opportunities emerged for partnerships and joint research using purchased by ReProForce project equipment.