October 2025 - Page 3 of 3

09.10.2025.09.10.2025.

HPC Training AI Solutions from Innovative SMEs: Practical Examples and Lessons Learned

NCC Montenegro, in collaboration with the NCC Slovenia, organized a collaborative workshop and training AI Solutions from Innovative SMEs: Practical Examples and Lessons Learned on October 7, 2025 in Podgorica at University of Donja Gorica. The workshop focused on the opportunities and advantages of HPC and AI technologies in the business sector and best practices in the industry. Approximately 25 participants attended the workshop, including industry experts who deal daily with research and practical examples in the field of artificial intelligence based on HPC.

Tomi Ilijaš, representing Arctur and the NCC SLING initiative in Slovenia, discussed the emerging opportunities for SMEs within the HPC ecosystem. He introduced support structures aimed at making advanced computing more accessible to smaller businesses and highlighted case studies of SME innovation enabled by HPC services.

Presentation on lessons learned and new opportunities for the industry

Ilijaš highlighted two of Arctur’s valuable use cases, CLASSICA and LLMs4EU. These projects are powered by supercomputers and AI, enabling faster workflows and precise analysis. Use case in tourism LLMs4EU aims to reduce entry barriers for smaller, lesser-known tourist destinations and to break down language barriers, build personalized itineraries and incorporate gamification elements. Based on vertical LLM, designed for integration into existing or newly developed software. The main goal of the CLASSICA project – the use of AI technology for cancer classification in the operating theatre. Ilijaš presented the project activities and highlighted the importance of AI technology for image recognition and tissue classification.

The second part of the workshop focused on the FFplus call Innovative studies for SMEs. FFplus is a successor to previous Fortissimo projects (Fortissimo, Fortissimo-2, FF4EuroHPC; 2013-2023). Both, NCC Montenegro and NCC Slovenia representatives, explaines and announce to the Montenegrin SMEs the Innovative studies call which will be open in December 2025. This call will support European SMEs and Start-ups already active in the field of generative AI technology, which lack the necessary computational resources to scale up.

After the presentation, there were questions and answers sesion. During Q&A sesion representatives from SMEs shared their experiences and highlighted importance of cooperation with NCC Montenegro.

We had a good presence of SMEs interested in new EuroHPC and FFPlus calls

07.10.2025.09.10.2025.

NCC Montenegro at Infofest 2025

Infofest (Festival of IT Achievements) is a traditional international event in the field of information and communication technologies, organized in Montenegro since 1994.

The aim of Infofest is to bring together experts from academia, industry, and the public sector, as well as technology companies, IT enthusiasts, and the media — to exchange knowledge, present innovative solutions, and initiate discussions on current challenges and perspectives of digital transformation.

NCC Montenegro presenting activities and services offered

Over the years, Infofest has established a strong reputation as a festival that promotes the latest topics in the ICT sector, such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital transformation, regulation and ethics in technology, e-governance, and more.
Infofest 2025 was held in Budva, from September 28 to October 1, 2025.

The National Competence Center for High Performance Computing – NCC Montenegro actively participated in Infofest 2025, presenting projects and services in the fields of supercomputing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Representatives of the University of Donja Gorica, Sandra Tinaj and Tomo Popović, together with Božo Krstajić from the University of Montenegro, delivered a presentation on the activities of NCC Montenegro, with a special focus on the services offered by the Center, as listed and described on the official platform.

Dr Bozo Krstajic, NCC Montenegro, ETF/UCG

During the event, bilateral meetings were held with representatives of IT companies and public sector institutions interested in collaboration and the implementation of HPC and AI solutions in their organizations.

Infofest was attended by the representatives from industry and academia (Montenegro and the region)

By participating in Infofest, NCC Montenegro further strengthens its role in the development of Montenegro’s digital economy and innovation ecosystem, connecting academia, researchers, and industry in a shared mission to advance knowledge and technological progress.

06.10.2025.09.10.2025.

DIGITAL FABRIC Explores Future Collaboration with NCC Montenegro

On October 1, NCC Montenegro had the pleasure of welcoming Konstantin Kolotov, CTO of DIGITAL FABRIC, a company active in the field of AI and advanced digital solutions and product strategies. The visit followed an initial introduction at the KOMPact event, where both sides identified shared interests and complementary strengths in leveraging AI solutions and HPC resources, particularly in the area of smart tourism.

During discussions at the NCC Montenegro offices, Mr Kolotov as a founder and a co-founder introduced portfolio of projects and start-ups, shaping innovative use for testing and scaling AI-enabled solutions:

HiGem.ai – a platform designed for travel destinations, to enhance destination management and visitor experience.
Trendcore.ai – a solution for the fashion industry focused on AI-driven visual content generation.

Both initiatives demonstrate how AI-powered platforms can foster business innovation. The conversation also addressed advanced computing requirements, EuroHPC system access opportunities, and the role of NCC Montenegro in providing support and guidance for future developments.

In addition, the visit opened dialogue on potential academic collaboration, with a focus on digital innovation and AI applications in tourism. Joint interest was expressed in co-developing research initiatives, pilot projects, and knowledge exchange activities.