EuroCC Montenegro website statistics

EuroCC NCC Montenegro website had over 10,000 visitors and over 25,000 visits during the last year. The number of visits was correlated with the organization of events, publishing od blog posts and announcements on social media. The overall stats since the website launch shows over 22,000 visitors and close to 60,000 visits. This is for the period from Jan 2021.

We had over 10,000 visitors in 2023

Scientific paper on forecasting meningitis with machine learning (MEDICON23)

A resarch paper on forecasting meningitis with machine learning written by B. Dobardzic, A. Alibasic, N. Milosevic, B. Malisic and M. Vukotic just appeared in the Proceedings of the Mediterranean Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing (MEDICON) and International Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering (CMBEBIH), September 14โ€“16, 2023, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovinaโ€”Volume 1: Imaging, Engineering and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcareat the following link.

Abstract – Meningitis is a life-threatening disease that can lead to severe neu-
rological damage and death if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.
In this study, the application of machine learning methods to create a predic-
tive model for meningitis diagnosis based on clinical signs, blood, protein, and
other health parameters is explored. Our goal is to determine the most reliable
and accurate method of meningitis prediction. We analyze a sizable dataset of
meningitis patients using cutting-edge classification techniques, such as Support
Vector Machines and Random Forest. Findings have shown that machine learning
techniques can accurately estimate a patientโ€™s risk of meningitis. The importance
of features for meningitis diagnosis is determined by evaluating them, and the
effectiveness of various models is also compared.

Click on image to open the proceedings

Hackaton on the use of Computer vision in Montenegrin S3

During the 3 months of intensive work, NCC Montenegro team members were involved in organising 70 classes for more then 50 participants. Lectures were held twice a week, starting in October this year. The training started with Python programming module which focused on mastering all programming skills needed for further work and engagement with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Then we explored AI concepts, mathematical models, computer vision tasks, and provided hands-on examples of using Convolutional Neural Networks, Yolo architectures (YoloV7 and YoloV8), and the Detectron2 package for various computer vision applications. Throughout these modules, participants not only gained exposure to various tools, Python packages and libraries for facilitating AI model development but also had the chance to learn the integration of AI solutions into modern systems and applications with Flask and other web bases technologies. The attendees were informed on NCC Montenegro activities and introduced to capabilites of HPC and its application for AI development that requires lots of computing resources.

Hackaton took place on 23 Dec 2023.

After all classes we organised Hackathon day. The Hackathon gathered 20 teams to work on HPC/AI and Computer Vision projects in agriculture, medicine and tourism. Before the Hackathon Day, after which the best ideas were showcased and awarded, there were two weeks of intense mentor-guided sessions. These sessions helped teams with their projects and in figuring out high-performance computing needs for handling large datasets , execute experiments, and testing advanced AI models. This hackaton was implemented in cross-collaboration with the AI4S3 project funded by the Innnovation Fund of Montenegro.

The hackaton was attended by over 50 people
24 teams presented their potential application of HPC and AI in Montenegrin S3
The presentations focused on health, tourism, energy and food sectors
The hackaton ended in celebration and social event

Workshop “Digital Transformation and HPC/AI” for BSc students

On 8 Dec 2023, a workshop on “Digital Transformation and HPC/AI” unfolded at the University of Donja Gorica. Over the course of this semester, final-year BSc students from the Faculty for Information Systems and Technologies delved into research on HPC and AI technologies within the framework of the Managing Information Technology subject. The EUROCC NCC Montenegro team conducted enlightening lectures and presentations on HPC and AI, providing students with a comprehensive grasp of these technologies and illustrating their pivotal roles in digital transformation.

Digital transformation and HPC/AI students workshop

During the workshop, students had the opportunity to showcase the projects they worked on throughout the semester, projects that will be defended during their final exam in Managing Information Technology course. The presented use cases spanned across various fields such as tourism, medicine, agriculture, and digital marketing. This event not only allowed students to share their findings but also fostered a deeper understanding of the practical applications of HPC and AI in real-world scenarios. Our focus was on the possible applications of interest for Montenegro and in the priority domains of Smart Specialisation Strategy for Montenegro (2014-2019).

Over 20 BSc students participated
AI powered chatbot for hotel reception
HPC/AI model cretion for sign language
HPC/AI for recognizing cultural and historic monuments
Prediction of attendance of sport events
Use of computer vision in medicine
Computer vision for drones for prevention of forest fire
Computer vision for precision agriculture and pest management
Event took place at the University of Donja Gorica

Progress on AI4S3 project

In the previous period, as part of the AI4S3 project, which is supported by Innovation fund of Montenegro, numerous lectures on the application of artificial intelligence in S3 areas were organized at the UDG:

  • Python programming: Our participants went through a thorough training in Python, starting with the basics of the programming language, all the way to advanced topics. Through homework, our participants demonstrated a high understanding and application of Python in various scenarios. This was the first step towards strengthening their programming expertise.
  • Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI): this module was a journey through the world of artificial intelligence. We started with the historical development of the technology, exploring how machine learning and deep learning algorithms have evolved over time. In the pyTorch and TensorFlow suite, we developed some basic deep learning models. We focused especially on neural networks, explaining their mathematical and technical foundations. Participants gained a thorough understanding of the technologies that shape our world.
  • AI in S3 priority areas: this segment was extremely important because the basic idea of this training is precisely the application of new technologies. Innovative projects developed by our lecturers, specifically focused on the application of AI in S3 areas, were presented. This gave participants an insight into the practical application of AI in the real world. Also, we dealt with ethical issues and challenges in the development of AI models, encouraging participants to think critically about the impact of technology on society.
The training included Python basis, introduction to AI and ML, applications in S3 domains

With over 50 participants from various academic and industrial circles, our training has become a meeting place for different perspectives and innovations. By the end of this training, two more modules are planned, namely The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Computer Vision and Tools and Libraries for AI Model Development. At the very end, training participants will present their projects, which they will develop in teams in cooperation with mentors. This training is a continuation of previous NCC Montenegro and Open Mind Academy efforts.

Mr Stevan Cakic, AI4S3 project coordinator
Over 50 trainees from various academic and industrial sector
Participant will be trained and metored to implement their own hands on projects
The course included cross-collaboration and presentations of practical use cases

NCC Montenegro at HPC Industry Summit in Berlin, Germany

Representatives of HPC NCC Montenegro, University of Donja Gorica participated at HPC Industry Summit, which took place at GLS Campus Berlin, Germany from 18-19 October 2023 organized by EuroCC and FF4EuroHPC projects.

HPC Industry Summit

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, the adoption of High-Performance Computing (HPC) has become paramount for staying ahead of the competition. HPC Industry Summit provided a unique platform for attendees to explore the industrial uptake of HPC and to discover a wealth of use cases and success stories from SMEs in various sectors, demonstrating how HPC has catalyzed breakthrough innovations, streamlined processes, and maximized productivity.

NCC Montenegro participated in the event
Ms Bojana Malisic was a panelist in the panel discussion

During the event and first day, NCC Montenegro representative, Ms. Bojana Malisic participated as a panellist in the session ‘๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—›๐—ฃ๐—– ๐—จ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ – ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜†’ and shared the status of the MNE HPC user base and how we can engage more efficiently with industrial users to increase the use of HPC in business processes in Montenegro and Europe. During the discussion, we addressed the challenges and the strategy to collaborate with academic and industrial users successfully.

NCC Montenegro at the HPC Industry Summit

Attendees had opportunity to dive into the world of cutting-edge infrastructures and services specifically tailored to assist businesses in harnessing the full potential of HPC and to gain actionable insights, network with industry leaders, and uncover the transformative power of HPC in transforming your organization’s success.

The live stream were available via the FF4EuroHPC YouTube channel at the folowing link.