NCCs from Italy, Denmark and Montenegro Share Experiences on Strengthening Industry Engagement in HPC, HPDA and AI

NCCs Montenegro, Italy, and Denmark held an online mentoring and twinning session (30.01.2026) focused on sharing valuable experiences and good practices in building initial industry contacts in the fields of HPC, HPDA, and AI. The discussion centred on practical approaches and lessons learned in engaging companies—particularly SMEs—and on transforming NCC technical expertise and resources into attractive, demand-driven service offerings.

EuroCC mentoring and twinning session

The NCCs shared concrete examples of mapping local ecosystems and working with key national stakeholders, strategic partners and industry intermediaries—including chambers of commerce, industry clusters, digital agencies, science and technology parks, start-up incubators/ accelerators, etc., and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)—to reach targeted companies and industry leaders. Collaboration models, including joint workshops, training activities, and project initiatives, were highlighted as effective means of promoting access to HPC and AI resources, expertise, and funding support.

The session also highlighted the importance of continuous visibility and coordinated outreach through channels such as LinkedIn, newsletters, and active participation in targeted conferences and networking events, as key enablers for promoting NCC services and strengthening industry uptake.

30th International Scientific and Professional Conference IEEE IT2026

We are pleased to invite you to the 30th International Scientific and Professional Conference INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2026.

📌 Important notice for authors:
Upon authors’ request, the paper submission deadline has been extended to January 25, 2026.

🔹 Accepted papers may be presented in oral or poster sessions
🔹 Online presentations via ZOOM are also available

We invite the academic community, industry professionals, and the wider public to follow the Conference activities online, via videoconferencing links available on the official Conference website.

Welcome!

Click to open IT 2026 conference website

FFplus Open Call: Innovation Studies – Generative AI on European Supercomputers

The FFplus Innovation Studies Open Call is now open, offering European SMEs and start-ups a focused opportunity to develop and validate generative AI (GenAI) solutions using large-scale European supercomputing resources. The call opens on 3 February 2026 and targets early-stage, high-impact projects with a clear proof-of-concept orientation.

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Click on image to open the link for application (image source: FFplus)

Coordinated by HLRS (High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart), FFplus supports innovation at the intersection of AI and HPC, enabling companies to overcome computational barriers and scale beyond conventional cloud or on-premise infrastructures.

Key facts

  • Funding: up to €300,000 per project
  • Deadline: 25 February 2026 (or earlier if 250 proposals are submitted)
  • Eligible applicants: European SMEs and start-ups

Scope and impact

The call supports feasibility studies and PoCs for GenAI use cases such as:

  • Training or fine-tuning large language and multimodal models
  • Generative design, simulation, and optimization workflows
  • AI-driven data synthesis and advanced analytics across multiple sectors

Selected projects gain access to EuroHPC-class supercomputers, expert technical support, and increased visibility within the European innovation ecosystem. National Competence Centres within the EuroCC play a key role in supporting applicants.

Support from NCC Montenegro

The NCC Montenegro is available to support SMEs and start-ups from Montenegro during the proposal preparation phase, including:

  • Clarification of call scope and eligibility
  • Guidance on aligning use cases with HPC and GenAI requirements
  • Initial technical advice on suitable architectures and workloads

Apply here: https://www.ffplus-project.eu/en/open-call/innovation-studies/

Given the capped number of proposals, early engagement and submission are strongly encouraged.