Visit to Center for Finance – Introducing HPC Opportunities and NCC Montenegro

As part of the ongoing industry engagement efforts under the EUROCC2 project, the National Competence Center for High-Performance Computing (NCC Montenegro) visited the Center for Finance in Podgorica.

Ivana, Dejan, Ivan, Tomo, and Ilija at the meeting

We were welcomed by Mr. Ilija Mugoša, Executive Director, and Prof. Dr. Ivana Katnić, Head of Research and Education. The NCC Montenegro team—represented by prof. Tomo Popović, Mr. Ivan Jovović, and Mr. Dejan Babić—presented the objectives and services of the EUROCC2 project, highlighting the role of NCC in supporting the uptake of HPC technologies across sectors. The team shared insights on available HPC infrastructure, training opportunities, technical support, and assistance with applications for access to national and EuroHPC resources. The discussion focused on potential collaborations in applying HPC to the finance domain, including areas such as data-driven risk modeling, algorithmic trading simulations, and AI-enhanced financial forecasting.

Both parties recognized the importance of identifying the right use cases and relevant datasets that could benefit from the power of HPC. NCC Montenegro expressed readiness to support the Center for Finance in exploring these opportunities further—through technical guidance, co-development of pilot simulations, and assistance in transitioning from local development environments to HPC platforms. The possibility of applications for HPC resources and joint research and development project was emphasized as a key next step.

Follow up Technical Consultation and Support for Exploring SME

As part of a broader effort to analyze operational patterns in Montenegro’s healthcare sector, a predictive model was developed to estimate indicators related to the quality of healthcare services provided to citizens at the secondary and tertiary levels. The model was initially trained on a sample of 10,000 records and later expanded to over 40,000 records using the HPC cluster at UDG, which enabled the training process to complete in under one minute. All records were fully anonymized in accordance with ethical standards, and the dataset incorporated a wide range of temporal, demographic, and institutional variables relevant to healthcare access and service delivery patterns.

Using AI and HPC to analyze operational patterns in Montenegro’s healthcare sector

The model was implemented using the Random Forest Regressor algorithm, and additional experiments were conducted with alternative modeling techniques and target transformations. The baseline configuration achieved strong predictive performance (MAE ≈ 95 hours, R² = 0.87). While log-transformation and alternative algorithms such as XGBoost were evaluated, they did not yield improvements over the initial approach. Feature importance analysis revealed that factors such as month, weekday, and clinical unit had the highest impact on model outputs. Access to dedicated computing resources has been granted for further development, enabling continued model training and experimentation with advanced algorithms and optimization methods.

Click on image to learn more about Exploring – an innovative software development SME from Montenegro

Strengthening EuroCC4SEE Cooperation: NCC BiH Visits NCC Montenegro

As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration within the EuroCC4SEE network, representatives of the NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted a productive visit NCC Montenegro on May 13, 2025. The meeting served as a mentoring and twinning platform to exchange lessons learned and best practices in industry onboarding, academic alignment, and public sector engagement. It also contributed to the planning of joint initiatives and regional efforts to promote/accelerate the adoption of HPC technologies.

From the meeting related to planning the next cooperation steps

Key outcomes of the meeting:

  • Exchange of experience and practices – NCC Montenegro and NCC BiH shared their respective approaches to HPC promotion and user engagement, including: Examples of collaborative projects across academia, industry, and the public sector; Use cases and success stories in sectors such as healthcare, energy, agri-tech, fintech, and weather forecasting; Practical strategies for onboarding companies through direct communication and proactive engagement, including HPC4SME push The promotion and use of national sandbox infrastructures and advanced EuroHPC resources to support research institutions and innovative enterprises in developing and testing advanced computational solutions and business ideas.
  • Support for the CMBEBIH 2025 Conference (September 11–13, Sarajevo) NCC Montenegro confirmed its support for the upcoming CMBEBIH 2025 conference related to several activities, including: contribution to the Call for paper submissions, (HPC applications in medicine), Hackathon activities (HPC-supported use cases) and HPC panel discussion/expert session featuring both regional and international experts.
  • Joint training events and regional outreach – plans were discussed for organizing joint HPC training sessions for industry. These events may be held: in conjunction with the CMBEBIH 2025 conference in Sarajevo (September 2025); as part of the IEEE IT conference in Žabljak (February 2026), or in planned HPC roadshow to be held across five cities in BiH.
The discussion concluded with a detailed action plan for the upcoming period

The visit concluded on a highly positive note, reaffirming the mutual commitment to deepen the regional cooperation, accelerate knowledge transfer, promote HPC as a strategic enabler for innovations in Southeast Europe and amplify NCCs visibility across EuroCC2 network.

Presentation by prof. dr Lejla Gurbeta-Pokvic

Representatives from both NCC teams also participated in the POLICY ANSWERS Workshop on Technology-Oriented Research Infrastructures: Opportunities for the Western Balkans where NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina gave a presentation that featured EuroCC2 & EuroCC4SEE projects and NCC activities.

EuroCC4SEE Seminar Series – 5 Beats of Intelligence: AI Meets Diverse Domains

As part of the EuroCC4SEE project, five countries – Türkiye, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina – have joined forces to present an engaging online seminar series titled: “5 Beats of Intelligence: AI Meets Diverse Domains”.

Tjis is a joint effort from NCCs from the EuroCC4SEE

In this series, each country will host a dedicated session exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) intersects with a different scientific or industrial domain. The seminars are designed to share knowledge, inspire collaboration, and engage both academic and applied research communities in the EuroHPC ecosystem.

📅 The series runs from 20 May to 22 July 2025, with a new seminar approximately every two weeks. All seminars will be hosted online via Zoom. More details on schedule and registrations can be accessed at NCC Turkiye website at the foillowing link.

Mr Dejan Babic will give the first presentation proviedd by NCC Montenegro
Mr Ivan Jovovic will give the second presentation from NCC Montenegro

The Role of HPC and e-Infrastructures in Montenegro’s Development  –  next POLICY ANSWERS Monthly Webinar


Join the 12th edition of the POLICY ANSWERS Monthly Webinar series as we explore how the Western Balkans can align their priorities with the European Union in crucial areas such as Digital Transformation, the Green Deal, and Health Policy. This month’s webinar Luka Filipovic will present how High-Performance Computing (HPC) and digital research infrastructures are pivotal to Montenegro’s development and its integration into the European Research Area. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how cutting-edge technologies are shaping innovation in the region.

📅 Date: 22 May 2025 | 🕒 Time: 15:00 | 📍 Online

Registration link: https://eu-wb-policy-dialogue-stakeholder.b2match.io/page-901

EuroCC4SEE Workshop in Belgrade

HPC Serbia is organizing a face-to-face regional EuroCC4SEE Workshop in Belgrade from 20 to 22 May 2025. The workshop will commence around noon on 20 May and conclude by noon on May 22. During the first half-day, we will hold sessions tailored for researchers. The second half-day will focus on SMEs, while the afternoon of the second day will feature presentations on the use of HPC in public administration. On the third day, we will showcase examples of HPC applications in the region. NCC Montenegro team members will participate in the event and give presentation on 22 May. You can learn more about the event at the following link: https://indico.ipb.ac.rs/event/590/

You can register at: https://indico.ipb.ac.rs/event/590/registrations

In total, we will conduct four half-day sessions focused on:

  • The use of HPC, HPDA and AI in Academia,
  • The use of HPC, HPDA and AI in SMEs,
  • The use of HPC, HPDA and AI in Public Administration,
  • Best Practices from the Region.
Click on image to open HPC Serbia for more details

Exploring HPC-Driven AI Solutions with Damar Institute

Representatives of NCC Montenegro met with Vuk Cadjenovic and Milos Borozan from Damar, a pioneering Montenegrin research institute established in 1993 that specialises in social research, public opinion polling, and data analysis. Over the years, Damar evolved into a comprehensive scientific and research institute, expanding its expertise to encompass a diverse range of qualitative, quantitative, and computational methodologies.

During the initial meeting held on April 15, 2025, and the follow-up on May 9, 2025, discussions focused on the potential integration of HPC resources into Damar’s operations. The goal is to leverage Damar’s extensive, multi-year data pool on public opinion and social issues to enhance its analytical capabilities through advanced predictive and prescriptive AI models.

The application of HPC would enable more precise modelling of complex social phenomena, improved data visualization, and real-time data processing—significantly increasing the relevance, depth, and impact of research outputs. The meetings also addressed opportunities for joint participation in research and innovation projects aimed at developing data-driven, AI-solutions for the public and private sectors.