Exploring HPC Opportunities with Alicorn: Strengthening Industry Collaboration

As part of our ongoing efforts to foster industry collaboration, the National Competence Centre (NCC) Montenegro recently conducted a follow-up consultation with representatives from Alicorn, Mr. Milutin Pavićević and Mr. Andrija Vučković. The meeting focused on exploring how High-Performance Computing (HPC) can be integrated into Alicorn’s development workflows, particularly in areas requiring substantial computational resources. Discussions also covered opportunities for accessing EuroHPC resources through open calls, as well as potential collaboration on Proof-of-Concept initiatives and joint project applications. We will also explore future options for open calls by Fortissimo and Innovation fund od Montenegro.

This was a follow up visit to Alicorn, an innovative technology company from Podgorica

Alicorn shared several promising use cases where HPC could significantly enhance their operations, including advanced data analytics and AI model training. This aligns with NCC Montenegro’s mission to support SMEs in leveraging HPC and AI technologies for innovation and competitiveness. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Alicorn and assisting them in navigating EuroHPC application processes, thereby contributing to the digital transformation of Montenegro’s tech industry.

One-Day Short Course: From Personal Computing to HPC – April 29, 2025

We are excited to announce a one-day short course titled “From Personal Computing to HPC”, taking place on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, starting at 13:30 at the University of Donja Gorica. This is primarily for the students, but others are welcome, too.

Organized within the EuroCC2 project framework, this intensive training session is designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of High Performance Computing (HPC) and how it differs from standard personal computing. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or tech enthusiast, this course will help you understand:

  • The evolution from personal computers to HPC systems
  • Core components of HPC architectures
  • The role of HPC in science, industry, and innovation
  • How to get started using HPC resources
This is the second time this year. We are now focused on students (MSc and BSc), but others are welcome, too.

Please note

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Don’t miss this opportunity to boost your computational skills and explore the world of HPC!

🔗 Learn more: [link]

Announcement of training for industry on the topic: HPC from idea to solution

NCC Montenegro (within the EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE project), in cooperation with “IT Society”, is organizing the training “HPC and Industrial Cooperation – Opportunities and Perspectives” as part of the activities of the 29th scientific and professional conference Information Technologies – Present and Future, which will be held on 29 and 30 May 2025 in Žabljak.

The aim of this two-day training is to present available high-performance computing (HPC) as an innovative tool for improving business in Montenegrin industry. Through practical examples and discussions, participants will have the opportunity to consider the possibilities of implementing HPC in their companies, identify potential challenges that they can solve, the necessary resources and establish B2B contacts with members of NCC Montenegro.

This will be a contionuation of IT2025 and collaboration of NCC Montenegro and “IT Drustvo” NGO

Innovation through Supercomputing in AI – an opportunity to improve your business

In collaboration with ICT Cortex, we are organizing a workshop “Innovation through Supercomputing in AI – an opportunity to improve your business”, on the topic of #HighPerformanceComputing and #ArtificialIntelligence technologies, intended for innovative IT companies, #SMEs and startups that want to improve their products, services and business processes using cutting-edge digital solutions.

With the support of experts, participants will learn how to use HPC technologies for accelerated development of AI models, how to access leading European supercomputing resources and how to improve their software solutions with significant time and resource savings.

The workshop is organized as part of the set of training events of the EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE (Digital Europe) project, and is implemented by the National Competence Center (NCC) Montenegro.

Join us on Wednesday, April 23, from 1:00 PM at the Entrepreneurial Nest, UDG and learn more about #NCC technical support and the benefits that the European supercomputing infrastructure offers to the business and public sectors.

Agenda

INTRODUCTION TO HPC TECHNOLOGIES AND NCC MONTENEGRO

13:00 | NCC Montenegro: Drive Your Innovations with HPC
Sanja Nikolić
HPC & AI: Turn Your Data into Action
HPC/HPDA/AI Training and Service Portfolio
HPC4SME: Automated Assessment Tool

13:30 | NCC Montenegro: Gateway to European Supercomputers
Luka Filipović
EuroHPC: Democratizing Access to Supercomputing
Overview of Open Access Calls – How to Apply?

MNE COMPANIES LEADING WITH AI AND SUPERCOMPUTING

14:00 | Panel Discussion: HPC & AI in Action

Moderated session featuring leading IT companies

  • Milutin Pavićević, ALICORN
  • Marko Lekić, FLEKA
  • Đuro Stojanović, UHURA
  • Nebojša Janović, PAID-T

COCKTAIL & NETWORKING

15:00 | Informal Networking & Refreshments

Empowering Business through HPC and AI

On April 16, 2025, the UDG hosted a HPC/AI workshop designed for business users and non-technical audience. The workshop provided a concise introduction to HPC and AI technologies emphasizing their growing relevance for accelerating digital transformation, advancing research & development, and strengthening industry competitiveness. Participants gained valuable insights into how supercomputing technologies can be leveraged to accelerate production development and innovation cycles, optimize business operations and decision-making processes.

 Key highlights of the workshop included:

  • A clear and practical overview of  both commercial and technical aspects of HPC systems
  • Real-world use cases showcasing the HPC/AI impact and benefits across industries
  • Guidance to access Europe’s top-tier supercomputing infrastructure

The session is concluded with optional one-on-one consultations, allowing attendees to explore how advanced technologies like HPC and AI could be integrated into their specific business strategies and innovation ideas.

Successful Launch of the “Web Programming with Python Flask and HPC-enabled ML” Course at UDG

On April 17, 2025, the University of Donja Gorica successfully hosted the first part of the two-day course “Web Programming with Python Flask and HPC-enabled ML”, organized under the EuroCC Montenegro project. The event attracted over 70 enthusiastic students from various faculties, eager to deepen their knowledge in modern web development and the integration of High-Performance Computing (HPC) with machine learning. The first session focused on the fundamentals of web development using Python Flask, introducing participants to key concepts, tools, and techniques needed to build scalable and interactive web applications.

This was the first part (Day 1) od the short course.

The strong turnout and active participation highlighted the growing interest in the intersection of web technologies and advanced computing. This hands-on course not only provided practical skills but also encouraged students to explore how HPC resources can enhance machine learning workflows within web environments. The second part of the course, which will delve deeper into HPC integration and real-world ML applications, is scheduled to follow soon. The event marks another step forward in building digital competencies and fostering applied computing education in Montenegro.

There was around 75 attendees, mainly BSc and Msc students interested in Web programming and HPC/Ai integration

Mr. Ivan Jovovic was the lecturer today and the course was supported by mr Dejan Babic, mr Elvis Taruh and prof. Tomo Popovic, all in coordination with NCC Montenegro management and coordinators. We continue on 26. April 2025!

The course continues on 26. April (Day 2)

Visit to Exploring – Initiating HPC Collaboration and AI Innovation

As part of its mission to strengthen high-performance computing (HPC) capacities in Montenegro, the National Competence Center (NCC) in HPC recently visited the local IT company Exploring, a growing SME known for its innovative data-driven solutions. The meeting served as an initial consultation aimed at introducing the EUROCC project, and presenting the range of support services provided by NCC Montenegro.

NCC team visited Exploring, an SME IT developer from Podgorica

During the visit, the NCC Montenegro team provided an overview of the EUROCC initiative and the ongoing efforts to enhance digital innovation through HPC, artificial intelligence (AI), and related technologies. The Exploring team was introduced to the NCC self-assessment survey, a tool designed to help companies evaluate their readiness for adopting HPC technologies. In addition, we identified a potential use case to migrate Exploring’s development processes of ML prediction models for BI, which involve handling large datasets and developing prediction models, to the computing infrastructure managed by NCC Montenegro. This move could significantly improve computing performance and scalability for their internal R&D workflows.

The meeting also explored the possibility of:

  • Launching a proof-of-concept (PoC) analysis to evaluate the benefits of HPC in a real-world scenario tailored to Exploring’s use case;
  • Joint participation in upcoming open calls and EU-supported innovation programs;
  • Establishing a long-term collaboration between Exploring and NCC Montenegro to unlock further innovation potential.

This consultation marks an important step toward bridging the gap between academic HPC expertise and the private sector’s innovation goals. NCC Montenegro looks forward to supporting Exploring in its digital transformation journey.

We concluded this consultations with an action plan for the coming months