From 25 to 28 February, in Žabljak, within the framework of the traditional IT Conference – one of the most significant scientific and professional conferences in the field of engineering and information sciences, held with IEEE support (triple IEEE concept in engineering) – the EUROCC4SEE Conference will be organized, with both in-person and online participation of partners.
EuroCC 2 & EuroCC4SEE at IEEE IT2026 in Zabljak
The conference will gather members of the EUROCC4SEE team, representatives of National Competence Centres (NCCs), as well as representatives of companies, the business community, and the public sector from the region and beyond. According to current registrations, more than 200 participants are expected, confirming the strong regional and international character of the event.
As part of the conference, a training session and workshop will be organized in line with the strategic tourism development priorities of all EUROCC4SEE countries, entitled: “Application of HPC and AI to Enhance the Tourism Offer”, aiming to present the possibilities of applying High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence in improving tourism services, data analytics, and the development of innovative digital solutions.
The conference program will also include presentations of research papers, proof-of-concept projects, and HPC success stories demonstrating the practical application of HPC infrastructure in science, industry, and the development of new technologies.
Special focus will be placed on two central panels:
Application of HPC in Science and Industry – Real Examples and Success Stories, bringing together representatives of academia, industry, and the public sector to exchange experiences and present concrete examples of HPC solution implementation;
Regional Cooperation and EuroCC Experience – EUROCC4SEE: What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go Next? Lessons Learned and Regional Experiences, focused on analyzing project results achieved so far, sharing regional experiences, and defining future directions for the development of the HPC ecosystem in Southeast Europe.
In order to strengthen cooperation with industry and institutions, B2B Meetings and Collaborative Initiatives Toward EUROCC3 will also be organized, enabling direct meetings with business partners, public sector representatives, and potential HPC resource users.
The EUROCC4SEE conference represents an important platform for knowledge exchange, enhancement of regional cooperation, and strengthening the application of HPC technologies in science, industry, and public policies, confirming the strategic importance of digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystem development in the region.
Podgorica, 13 February 2026 – The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montenegro hosted a regional symposium dedicated to the application of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare and medical research.
The event was organized by NCC Montenegro, in collaboration with the Faculty for Information Systems and Technologies (UDG) and the Faculty of Medicine (UoM), within the framework of the EuroCC2 and EuroCC4SEE projects, with additional support from the AI-AGE research project.
Bringing together approximately 20 participants from healthcare institutions, academia, innovative companies, and regional partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the symposium aimed to strengthen collaboration and advance the adoption of AI and HPC technologies in the health sector.
From Vision to Implementation
The programme combined strategic presentations, regional cooperation sessions, and technical demonstrations, creating a comprehensive overview of the current state of HPC and AI in healthcare.
NCC Montenegro presented Montenegro’s role as a national reference point for HPC, High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA), and AI development. The presentation traced the entire pipeline—from clinical and biomedical data collection to AI model development and HPC-accelerated deployment.
A central message of the event was clear: HPC in healthcare is not merely about computational speed. It enables rigorous validation, reproducibility, and scalable deployment of AI models in real clinical environments.
Use cases discussed during the symposium included radiology, digital pathology, cardiology, genomics, ICU monitoring, and public health forecasting
AI-AGE: Advancing Research on Ageing
A dedicated session focused on the AI-AGE project, which explores retinal fundus imaging as a potential biomarker for accelerated biological ageing.
The interdisciplinary team presented research results based on UK Biobank data and datasets collected in Montenegro. Findings indicate that the complexity of retinal microvascular networks may decline more rapidly in patients with chronic diseases, highlighting potential applications in early diagnosis and monitoring.
Speakers emphasized the importance of careful model validation, addressing training bias, and ensuring responsible clinical deployment. The discussion also highlighted the potential of EuroHPC resources to further strengthen research capacity and computational scalability
Technical Showcase: AI Solutions Already in Practice
One of the most dynamic parts of the symposium was the Technical Showcase, where companies from Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina presented concrete AI and HPC-enabled healthcare solutions.
Among the showcased innovations were:
AI-powered colon cancer detection in digital pathology using deep learning on high-resolution histopathology slides
AI-driven IoT platforms supporting clinical decision-making and patient management
AI systems for Alzheimer’s disease care, including predictive digital twins and multimodal reasoning tools
HPC-supported computational simulations accelerating pharmaceutical drug development
A particularly valuable component of the session was the sharing of experiences from companies that successfully applied for and received EuroHPC computing resources. These examples demonstrated how access to supercomputing infrastructure directly enhances model development, testing, and product readiness.
Strengthening Regional Cooperation
The symposium also included a regional twinning workshop between NCC Montenegro and NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The session focused on joint strategies for stakeholder engagement, cross-border resource sharing, and knowledge transfer. The discussion confirmed that the twinning model is an effective mechanism for strengthening the South-East European HPC ecosystem and facilitating access to European supercomputing infrastructure.
Such cooperation is particularly important as the region prepares for the next phase of European HPC initiatives and increasing alignment with the EU AI Act and broader digital strategies.
Addressing Systemic Challenges
The event concluded with an interactive panel discussion titled “Orchestrating the Ecosystem.” Participants addressed key challenges facing AI adoption in healthcare, including:
The healthcare data gap and fragmentation
Regulatory complexity, particularly in the context of the EU AI Act
The need for stronger partnerships between industry, academia, and healthcare institutions
While AI model architectures continue to mature rapidly, participants agreed that the primary bottlenecks lie in data heterogeneity, evaluation standards, and deployment constraints rather than algorithmic limitations.
Healthcare representatives acknowledged the growing importance of HPC and AI in medical research but emphasized the need to improve institutional readiness for strategic and sustainable adoption.
A Strategic Step Forward
The symposium concluded with a shared commitment to:
Position AI and HPC as strategic priorities in healthcare innovation
Continue expanding infrastructure and access to HPC resources
Invest in skills development and capacity building
Strengthen regional collaboration across South-East Europe
The event marked an important step in connecting research excellence, industrial innovation, and clinical practice—demonstrating that HPC-enabled AI in healthcare is no longer a future concept, but an emerging regional reality.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has opened a call for proposals supporting AI-driven scientific research and collaborative EU projects that require large-scale high-performance computing (HPC) resources.
This access mode is designed for researchers, academic institutions, public sector bodies, and industry partners involved in EU-funded or nationally funded R&I projects, where Artificial Intelligence is a core enabler of scientific discovery—including machine learning, foundation models, generative AI, and large language models applied to real scientific challenges.
Available supercomputers to apply for (the resources shown in node hours)
What does the call offer?
Selected projects can receive access to Europe’s leading supercomputers (such as GPU-accelerated EuroHPC systems) for training, testing, and scaling advanced AI models. The call runs on a continuous basis with multiple cut-off dates, allowing flexible submission throughout the year.
Why it matters
Many AI-for-science use cases exceed the capabilities of local infrastructure. This call lowers the barrier to:
large-scale AI model training,
data-intensive scientific workflows,
cross-border collaboration using shared European HPC resources.
Support for Montenegrin applicants
NCC Montenegro actively supports Montenegrin researchers, institutions, and companies in preparing and submitting applications to this call.
NCC Montenegro can help with:
assessing project eligibility and fit with the call,
estimating HPC and GPU resource needs,
structuring proposals and impact sections,
connecting applicants with relevant EuroHPC systems and expertise.
If you are based in Montenegro and considering applying, we strongly encourage you to contact us early in the preparation process. Learn more at [link]
High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly moving beyond research laboratories into real clinical environments. Across Montenegro and the SEE region, promising AI solutions have been developed for medical image analysis, biomarker detection, and predictive diagnostics. The critical challenge today is ensuring their structured transition from research prototypes to validated, deployable tools within healthcare systems.
Please contact us for attendance, limited number of seats
This event addresses precisely that transition. It focuses on how HPC infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration, and coordinated ecosystem support can accelerate the integration of AI into everyday clinical practice. Particular attention will be given to available computational capacities, real-life use cases, and pathways toward sustainable deployment.
The event is organized as a joint initiative between NCC Montenegro and NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the broader framework of EuroCC 2 and EuroCC4SEE. It also represents a form of cross-project pollination with the AI-AGE project, demonstrating how research-driven innovation can evolve into applied healthcare solutions through regional cooperation.
Collaboration between NCC Monteengro and NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina
Researchers, clinicians, innovators, and industry partners are invited to join the discussion, exchange expertise, and contribute to shaping the next steps for HPC- and AI-driven healthcare across Southeast Europe. The event is scheduled for Friday, 13 Feb 2026. Please contact us for further details.
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.
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.
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
As part of the ongoing activities of the National Competence Centre for High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence in Montenegro (HPC NCC Montenegro), a new undergraduate course entitled Artificial Intelligence has been successfully implemented during the current academic year. The course was delivered to students of the Faculty for Information Systems and Technologies (FIST) as well as the Faculty of Applied Sciences – Electrical Engineering and Computer Science programme, further strengthening the AI and HPC components within undergraduate curricula.
AI Education Bridging Academia and Industry
The course was designed as an introductory yet comprehensive overview of fundamental concepts, methods, and applications of artificial intelligence, aiming to provide students with a solid theoretical foundation alongside essential practical skills. The focus was placed on machine learning, data analysis and processing, decision-making algorithms, and the role of AI in digital transformation and real-world problem solving. In addition, ethical challenges and societal implications of AI technologies were explicitly addressed. The course content and learning outcomes were aligned with contemporary academic and industry standards, including hands-on use of tools recommended by the industry experts.
A distinctive feature of the course was its close collaboration with industry partners, fully aligned with the objectives of the EuroCC-2 and EuroCC4SEE projects, which promote strong links between academia, industry, and the HPC ecosystem. Representatives from Alicorn, BixBit, Inovativa, and DigitalSmart actively participated in the course delivery, contributing through guest lectures and weekly discussions with students. This collaboration allowed students to gain first-hand insights into how AI and HPC technologies are applied in real industrial environments.
Through direct interaction with industry professionals, students discussed concrete use cases of artificial intelligence in areas such as data-driven decision making, process automation, intelligent systems development, and scalable AI solutions supported by HPC infrastructures. These exchanges significantly enriched the learning experience, fostering critical thinking, practical understanding of market needs, and awareness of real-world constraints and opportunities.
The implementation of the Artificial Intelligence course represents a concrete example of how EuroCC initiatives contribute to the systematic enhancement of undergraduate curricula with AI and HPC content, while simultaneously strengthening cooperation with industry. In this way, students are not only equipped with fundamental technical knowledge but are also introduced to the broader European HPC and AI ecosystem, gaining a clear perspective on the role of AI and high-performance computing in modern research, innovation, and industry.
