We are organizing an online training event on Artificial Intelligence and High-performance Computing for real case scenarios. This workshop is designed for academia; scholars, researchers, students, who are interested in learning how to use AI/ML and High-performance Computing in real case scenarios. This will be achieved through five lectures featuring educators from Spain and Montenegro who will present successful case studies. This is a twinning effort by two NCCs.
Agenda for the online training by NCC Montenegro and NCC Spain
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 14–16, 2023, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina—Volume 1: Imaging, Engineering and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcareat the following link.
Abstract – Meningitis is a life-threatening disease that can lead to severe neurological damage and death if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. In this study, the application of machine learning methods to create a predictive 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 patient’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.
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 people24 teams presented their potential application of HPC and AI in Montenegrin S3The presentations focused on health, tourism, energy and food sectorsThe hackaton ended in celebration and social event
University of Montenegro, NCC Montenegro’s affiliated partner, organized a EuroCC2 project meeting on December 13th, gathering deans, professors, and researchers from its Engineering and Science (Mathematics, Biology, Physics) Faculties, interested in HPC-powered research, development and innovation opportunities.
Professors Bozo Krstajic, UoM and Tomo Popovic, UDG provided introductory session on EuroCC2 project and joint UDG and UoM activities. Professor Luka Filipovic presented NCC Montenegro training activities, services and industry success stories.
The engaging discussion allowed academic participants to gain valuable insights into: HPC practical applications across various research domains, NCC infrastructure opportunities with Yotta Advanced Computing and application process for accessing EUROHPC resources. The next steps will be defined through HPC/AI-aligned research and project initiatives, and supported cooperation with public administration and big industry.
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 participatedAI powered chatbot for hotel receptionHPC/AI model cretion for sign languageHPC/AI for recognizing cultural and historic monuments Prediction of attendance of sport eventsUse of computer vision in medicineComputer vision for drones for prevention of forest fireComputer vision for precision agriculture and pest managementEvent took place at the University of Donja Gorica
NCC Slovenia/Arctur d.o.o led and CASTIEL supported Task Force HPC4SME that successfully mobilised 17 NCCs within EuroCC2 footprint, in joint effort to upgrade HPC4SME Automated Assessment Tool for evaluation of Cloud HPC readiness of the European companies.
Task Force activities were focused on content update (questions, answers, info fields, report, translation), fine tuning of MADM (Multi- Attribute Decision -Making Model), beta testing with SMEs and service upgrade to the new AAT system.
The enhanced HPC4SME Tool was formally introduced during CASTIEL webinar for the Industry Working Group by Arctur team, focusing on SME’s evaluation benefits and supporting activities on NCCs market intelligence, competence mapping and industry steering process.
HPC4SME Automated Assessment Tool is already available at NCC Montenegro website https://eurocc.udg.edu.me/hpc4sme-assessment-tool/, providing an opportunity for Montenegrin companies to discover IF and HOW they can benefit from supercomputing services.
The Executive Office of American Chamber of Commerce and National Competence Centre for High Performance Computing Montenegro, organized joint workshop on innovative supercomputing technologies and applications on November 17th 2023 at University of Donja Gorica.
The AmCham member companies from various industry domains were greeted by Marko Mirocevic, AmCham Executive Director and Milica Vukotic, Dean of the Faculty for Information Systems and Technologies, emphasizing the importance digital acceleration and EuroCC2/Digital Europe project opportunities for enhancing industry innovations and competitiveness.
Representative of NCC Montenegro for industry cooperation, Sanja Nikolic introduced technical aspects and commercial applications of HPC systems, underlining transformative and innovative potential for the industry driven by integration of computational power (HPC/HPDA) and intelligent algorithms (AI/ML/DL). She also elaborated on EuroHPC supercomputing resources and access opportunities, as well as on possibilities for MNE companies to assess their HPC/AI readiness through HPC4SME self-evaluation tool (https://eurocc.udg.edu.me/hpc4sme-assessment-tool).
Representative of NCC Montenegro for service development, Luka Filipovic, presented new AI Master program and training courses, including Parallel Programing and Deep Learning, for enhancing HPC/AI skills, as well as other NCC services related to technical expertise, projects consultancy and preparation of use-cases for industry, academia and public sector. HPC/AI success stories in the areas of smart solutions for poultry farms, precise weather forecast in challenging topography of Montenegro, short-term predictive pricing in energy markets and personalized banking solutions, were presented in the constructive dialogues supported atmosphere.
AmCham members discussed challenges related to deploying AI models, issues with data availability and potential industry use-cases.
The joint event was great opportunity to promote supercomputing resources, applications and benefits available to Montenegrin companies, and to enhance industry interaction especially with the strategically aware and operationally proficient companies, to fully embrace future-proof technologies.
