Presentation of the EuroHPC calls for HPC resources to Čikom

The continuation of the consultations of the NCC team of Montenegro with the company Čikom and its sister company ITAS, was carried out on Friday, March 21, at the premises of the company Čikom. The meeting was attended by the CEO of the company Čikom, Vladan Tabaš, and the CEO of the company ITAS, Ivan Bošković, as well as representatives of the NCC team of Montenegro, Prof. Dr. Božo Krstajić and Prof. Dr. Enis Kočan. On February 1, the company ITAS began the implementation of the project “AI system for pathological analysis of adenocarcinoma (PathAI)”, which is co-financed by the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, and whose main goal is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of pathological analysis by applying innovative AI solutions. The ITAS team expects to collect and scan the first samples by the end of April, and the obtained images would then need to be processed on HPC resources. The NCC team recommended that ITAS apply to the call for HPC resources during the month of April, and presented the resources that can be obtained, the procedure for applying to the call and completing the application. It was agreed that the NCC team would be available to the ITAS company during the application period.

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NCC team from UoM meets with Cikom and ITAS

Follow up with FiveGE

Following FiveG’s participation in the EuroCC2 event at the 29th IT Conference and the initial meeting where the preparation of the technical aspects of the identified projects for HPC implementation was agreed upon, we arranged a follow-up meeting at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Podgorica, where we have presented the specific HPC resources available to the FiveG team within the EuroCC2 project, as well as the process for applying for these resources.

The follow up consultation with FiveG and discussion on applying for HPC access grant

The meeting was attended by Ivan Šoć (CEO of the FiveG Group) and Marina Braletić (Project Manager), who, after the presentation and clarification of details regarding the resources and application process, expressed interest in applying to Benchmark Call for using the resources for three months in order to develop and test the identified applications. The NCC Montenegro team from UoM (Enis Kočan and Božo Krstajić) recommended specific resources, provided guidance on the application form to be completed, and highlighted key details essential for the application process. It was agreed that FiveG would prepare the application by the next cut-off date (April 1, 2025) and that the HPC NCC Montenegro team would provide them with all necessary assistance in this regard.

Young Researchers Gearing Up for IT 2025: Advancing HPC and AI Through EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE

The 29th International Information Technology Conference (IT 2025) is just around the corner, taking place from February 19–22, 2025, in Žabljak, Montenegro. As one of the region’s most prominent IT gatherings, the event will bring together researchers, industry leaders, and academic experts to discuss the latest trends in HPC, AI and Digital Transformation.

As IT 2025 approaches, our team is gearing up to make an impact

This year, a team of young researchers from our institution is not only participating but also actively implementing activities related to the EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE project, which focuses on strengthening national competence centers in HPC across Europe. Their engagement will be crucial in two major sessions at the conference:

  1. HPC for Research Innovation – Unlocking Potential and Overcoming Challenges
    📅 Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 11:30 – 13:00
    📍 IT 2025 Conference, Žabljak

The young researchers will contribute to this strategic session, focusing on:
✅ Exploring Innovation Potential – Investigating how HPC can drive new research opportunities.
✅ Technical Feasibility & Migration Strategies – Addressing the challenges of integrating HPC solutions.
✅ Capacity Building & Skills Development – Supporting the next generation of HPC professionals.
✅ Paper Presentations – Showcasing research advancements and practical applications of HPC in various domains.

Their involvement will ensure that cutting-edge research and technical expertise are shared with the broader community, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration.

  1. HPC & AI Roundtable – Expert Guidance and Collaborative Research Dialogues
    📅 Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 13:15 – 14:45
    📍 IT 2025 Conference, Žabljak

In this interactive roundtable, the young researchers will engage in:
🤝 Expert Consultation & Research Challenges – Discussing real-world AI & HPC implementation hurdles.
🔗 Collaboration Matchmaking – Connecting researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers.
🏢 Industry & Academia Synergy – Exploring how HPC and AI can bridge gaps between research and industry needs.

Their role in this discussion will be pivotal in shaping future research directions and establishing stronger ties between academia and industry. More info about the conference is available at [link].

EUROCC2 & EUROCC4SEE at IT2025 – Advancing HPC Collaboration in the Region

At the IEEE IT2025 Conference in Žabljak, EUROCC2 and EUROCC4SEE will play a key role in fostering high-performance computing (HPC) adoption through strategic discussions, expert panels, and networking opportunities. 🚀

  • On 19 Feb, a Project Trade Fair will showcase results from EUROCC2/EuroCC4SEE and other initiatives, highlighting their impact on digital transformation and regional collaboration.
  • On 20 Feb, the “HPC for Research Innovation” session will explore technical feasibility, capacity building, and AI integration. This will be followed by an HPC & AI Roundtable, where experts will discuss research challenges and collaboration opportunities between industry and academia.
  • On 21 Feb, a Strategy Meeting will focus on strengthening regional NCC collaboration, harmonizing training programs, and ensuring the sustainability of HPC initiatives.

With a strong lineup of discussions and expert engagement, these sessions will drive innovation, knowledge exchange, and future collaboration in the European HPC ecosystem. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this transformative event! 🔥💡

NCC Montenegro and ICT Cortex -Unlocking supercomputing opportunities for industry leaders

On December 18, 2024, the NCC Montenegro in collaboration with ICT Cortex, successfully organized an industry-focused workshop “Supercomputing Opportunities for Industry Leaders”. ICT Cortex as a prominent Montenegrin business association, dedicated to fostering ICT companies collaboration and advancing of IT sector and startup ecosystem in Montenegro, making a fitting partner for HPC/AI industry roadshow initiative conducted within the scope of EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE project.

The workshop introduced participants to the comprehensive training and service portfolio offered by NCC MNE, while emphasizing the real-world benefits and examples of adopting HPC+ technologies. Key highlights of the workshop:

  • Demonstrating how HPC improves efficiency and accelerates innovation across various industry sectors and applications.
  • Showcasing real-world HPC and AI success stories driving significant business benefits.
  • Explaining how HPC4SME Assessment Tool can support Montenegrin SMEs in evaluating their readiness and potential for HPC/AI adoption.
  • Providing insights into EuroHPC Access Calls process and how innovative companies can leverage subsidized supercomputers access to address their computational needs and challenges.

The workshop attracted industry representatives and domain experts, expressing their keen interest in exploring supercomputing access possibilities and utilizing HPC-powered AI models to leverage their business R&D&I needs.

This initiative underscores NCC MNE’s commitment to bridging the gap between advanced computational technologies and industry needs, fostering a culture of innovation and digital competitiveness in Montenegro’s business ecosystem. By collaborating with organizations like ICT Cortex, NCC MNE continues to create valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing and technology transfer, strategic partnerships and industry onboarding.

Industry Outreach: Exploring HPC Opportunities to Accelerate Innovations across Healthcare, Education and IT

NCC Montenegro is driving forward its mission to foster innovation by leveraging HPC-empowered AI development through strategic collaborations with local companies and startups.

NCC Montenegro conducted initiated consultations with Five Group, one of Montenegro’s leading IT companies specializing in 3D design, gaming, and AI-based systems and discussed HPC resources to boost productivity and support their advanced AI applications. Two potential projects were identified, and pathways for applying to EuroHPC resources were explored. Five Group’s collaboration with the University of Montenegro (UCG) further underscores its dedication to advancing education through appealing innovative solutions

NCC members visited Čikom company, one of the largest IT companies in Montenegro, to explore HPC support for the project related to the AI System for Pathological Analysis of Adenocarcinoma.  NCC Montenegro will provide expert guidance on optimizing computational models to accelerate the project outcomes.

Developed by ONE AI startup and supported by the Innovation Fund, AIHeal project integrates sensor technologies and mobile devices to monitor patient health in real-time. The system enables precise diagnostics, reduces costs, and optimizes health conditions monitoring. Through NCC Montenegro’s support, HPC resources will be explored to enhance AIHeal’s data processing capabilities, ensuring efficient and reliable performance.

With a shared vision for innovation push and technological excellence, these collaborations showcase the potential of HPC and AI in driving advancements that promise to elevate healthcare, education, and industry standards.

“Generative AI Intelligent Process Automation Platform” project on Leonardo HPC

Uhura Solutions is developing AI platform for document-driven process automation in financial services. The “Generative AI Intelligent Process Automation Platform – GAIPAP” project is a transformative initiative aimed at revolutionizing the financial industry through the integration of advanced AI-driven automation solutions that combine capabilities of Large Language Model (LLM), low-code development, and process automation workflows. This unique fusion of technologies holds the potential to significantly enhance operational efficiency, cost reduction, and customer experience within the financial sector.

An exceptional aspect of the platform is the incorporation of fine-tuned Large language models (LLMs), which sets it apart from generic AI solutions. These LLMs, refined for the financial industry’s unique language, context, and patterns, promise to deliver more precise and relevant insights. The platform’s value proposition is further strengthened by its ability to streamline workflows, offer scalability, real-time data insights, and elevate customer experiences. The integration of a low-code development framework and process automation workflows enables swift prototyping and deployment of AI-driven models, thereby accelerating time-to-market and capitalizing on market opportunities effectively.

The project involves the use of open-source Python libraries and pre-trained Large language models which are fine-tuned on a custom-made private dataset created by the team, allowing for specialized tasks within the financial sector. Leonardo supercomputer enabled us to make a leap with GPU training experiments from 1B to 7B and higher Large language models. We are focusing on various LLM research and optimization methods in this phase of the project, which include hyperparameter tuning, model quantization and pruning, and parameter efficient fine-tuning (PEFT). Special attention is put on dataset preprocessing including quality filtering, deduplication and privacy redacting.

This project, developed and managed by Uhura Solutions, was awarded with 4,500 node hours of GPU resources (8x64GB) on the Leonardo Buster HPC for a duration of 12 months.