Podgorica, 18 June 2026 – Members of the National Competence Centre for HPC in Montenegro – NCC Montenegro participated in the scientific event “AI Economy”, held at the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (MASA) and organized by the Department of Social Sciences, through the Committee for Economic Sciences, Demography and Anthropology.
The event brought together representatives of academia, researchers, experts and stakeholders from different sectors to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy, education, professions, business models, digital transformation, healthcare, cybersecurity and broader societal change.
The participation of the NCC Montenegro team focused on connecting the topic of the AI economy with the challenges and opportunities of small economies, the development of local digital and AI capacities, and the role of education, communication and interdisciplinary skills in the emerging technological environment. A key message was that small economies should not remain only consumers of ready-made AI solutions, but should develop their own knowledge, infrastructure, research capacity and sector-specific expertise in order to actively participate in the AI economy.
The event was also used as an opportunity to feature the activities of NCC Montenegro, the EuroCC3 project, and the possibilities offered by the European HPC ecosystem to researchers, universities, the public sector and industry in Montenegro. In this context, the importance of HPC access was highlighted for the development and testing of AI models, large-scale data processing, advanced analytics, organizational digital transformation and the development of innovative industry-oriented solutions.
The NCC Montenegro team emphasized that the application of AI in the economy is not only a technological issue, but also a matter of human, institutional and infrastructural capacity building. For this reason, NCC Montenegro activities include support for accessing HPC resources, training, consultancy, academia-industry collaboration and awareness raising on how HPC and AI can contribute to business development, research, innovation and the improvement of education.
Participation in this event represents another step in strengthening cooperation between academia, industry and the public sector, particularly in areas where AI, HPC and data-driven approaches can contribute to competitiveness, efficiency and sustainable development in Montenegro.
NCC Montenegro will continue to promote the use of European HPC resources, strengthen local capacities and support organizations in Montenegro interested in developing advanced digital, AI and data-driven solutions.
The National Competence Centre Montenegro (NCC Montenegro), operating within the EuroCC3 was presented at the ICMO 2026 International Conference on Management and Organization – “Sustainability by Design: Rethinking Strategy, People & Digital Futures”, held in Przno, Montenegro.
The conference brought together more than 300 participants from over 45 countries, with more than 30 keynote, invited, and editorial speakers, and a Scientific Committee comprising researchers from 46 countries, including representatives of all 27 EU member states. ICMO 2026 served as a high-level platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between researchers, journal editors, doctoral candidates, institutional leaders, and business community representatives.
The EuroCC3 project and the activities of NCC Montenegro were presented by Stevan Čakić, member of the EuroCC3 project team, who outlined the role of the National Competence Centre Montenegro in building the national HPC and AI ecosystem, democratizing access to European supercomputing infrastructure, and supporting SMEs, academia, and public administration in adopting advanced digital technologies.
Special Training Session: HPC/AI for Business Competitiveness
As part of the conference programme, NCC Montenegro organized a dedicated special session and training titled “Exploring HPC/AI and Management: Driving Organizational Competitiveness in the Digital Era”, specifically designed for SMEs and the wider business community.
The training addressed the growing need for small and medium-sized enterprises to leverage advanced digital technologies — including High Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data — as strategic tools for enhancing competitiveness, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. Participants were introduced to key concepts and practical applications of HPC and AI in areas such as demand forecasting, financial modelling, predictive analytics, and data-driven business models, as well as the opportunities available through EuroCC3 and the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, which provides free access to world-class European supercomputing infrastructure and expertise — including to SMEs and startups.
A particular highlight of the training was a real-world research use case titled “How the Institutional HPC Infrastructure Turned 50,647 Policy-Document URLs into a Reproducible Country-Year Research System”, presented by researcher, Bozidar Vlacic, from the and the Católica Porto Business School & CEGE, Universidade Católica Portuguesa and University of Donja Gorica. The use case demonstrated in concrete terms the transformative power of HPC for research and business analytics: using EuroHPC supercomputing infrastructure, the research team processed over 50,000 candidate policy-document URLs, successfully downloading and converting nearly 37,000 PDFs — totalling 92.6 GB of data — into a clean, analysis-ready country-year database spanning 55 countries over the period 2007–2021. A task estimated to take nearly 30 days on a standard laptop was completed in a single overnight cluster run of under 16 hours, compressing time-to-evidence dramatically and making a previously unfeasible large-scale empirical study operationally credible. The resulting research system examined how industrial policy signals in public documents relate to national innovation capability — measured through R&D intensity, scientific publications, and resident patents — delivering directly actionable insights for both policymakers and business analysts.
This use case illustrated to the business community how HPC is not only a tool for science and engineering, but a strategic enabler for data-driven management, policy analysis, and competitive intelligence.
EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has announced an upcoming online event, the EuroHPC Access Calls Webinar – Evaluation Process, Technical Assessment and Best Practices, scheduled for 13 May 2026 from 10:00 to 12:30 (CEST).
The webinar is aimed at researchers and users from both the public and private sectors who are interested in applying for access to EuroHPC supercomputing resources. It will cover key topics such as proposal preparation, evaluation procedures, benchmarking, and successful project implementation. Sessions will be delivered by experts from leading European HPC organizations, offering practical guidance and insights based on real application experiences.
The AI-AGE project was presented at the round table “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare – Challenges and Opportunities”, held on 24 April 2026 at the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU) in Podgorica. The event gathered experts from Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss the role of AI in healthcare, including clinical applications, digital transformation, ethics, medical imaging, NLP, and AI assistants. We used this opportunity to promote the EuroCC4SEE and NCC Monteengro activity.
The round table was an opportunity to promote EuroCC 2 & EuroCC4SEE and NCC Montenegro support
AI-AGE was presented by Prof. Dr Nataša Popović, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, in the session dedicated to AI in clinical practice. The presentation highlighted key findings of the project and demonstrated how AI can support early detection and screening of chronic diseases, including examples related to colorectal cancer detection and the use of biomarkers.
The main presentation was focused on AI-AGE goals and results (cross-project collaboration)
The event was also an opportunity to promote EuroCC activities and the role of NCC Montenegro in strengthening national capacities in HPC, HPDA, and AI. Participation in this round table further positioned AI-AGE within the broader regional discussion on responsible and clinically relevant use of artificial intelligence in medicine.
On the occasion of IoT Day 2026, an online seminar titled “IoT, AI, HPC: Shaping the Future” will bring together technologies that are redefining modern digital infrastructure. The event will focus on the practical application of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC) in the development of modern digital systems.
During the seminar, experts from DunavNET, DigitalSmart Montenegro, the University of Donja Gorica, and Recrewty will present the projects and solutions they are currently working on, with a special emphasis on real-world applications of these technologies and their importance for digital transformation.
The speakers include: Nebojša Stojanović, Petar Knežević, Dejan Drajić, Anja Jakovljević, Stevan Čakić, Igor Ćulafić, and Mitar Perović.
📅 April 24, 2026 🕙 10:00–11:30 AM 📍 Online seminar Organized by: EuroCC 2 & EuroCC4SEE, University of Donja Gorica, and DunavNET
The event is open to researchers, engineers, developers, and everyone interested in current trends and practical applications of IoT, AI, and HPC.
Representatives of NCC Montenegro are actively contributing to the development of the National AI Strategy of Montenegro 2026–2030 as members of the national Working Group coordinated by the Ministry of Public Administration of Montenegro, with support from UNDP Montenegro. The overarching goal of the Strategy is to enable Montenegro to respond to global AI challenges while leveraging its potential for smart, sustainable, and inclusive development, in alignment with European and international standards.
Ministry of Public Administration, regional expert, and UNDP Montenegro coordinating AI Strategy development.
Key milestones in Working Group engagements for AI Strategy development:
Constitutive Session (17 October 2025) – Established the foundation for the Strategy by defining key strategic directions for AI development, including governance and ethical frameworks, education and digital skills, and sectoral applications.
Second Session (19 January 2026) – Advanced the process through discussions on the methodological framework, key development phases, and alignment with international best practices/ European standards, with particular emphasis on digital infrastructure and data ecosystem challenges in Montenegro.
Strategic Workshop (13–14 February 2026, Budva) – Engaged in interactive sessions with national and regional experts, contributing to the identification of strategic directions, core pillars, priority application areas, key challenges and opportunities, and the mapping of the national AI ecosystem.
Third Session (27 March 2026) – Focused on defining the work plan until September 2026, including the organization of thematic stakeholder workshops, expert consultations, to ensure comprehensive insights, refining strategic objectives/measures, and support the drafting of the Strategy document.
The emerging strategic framework is built around several core pillars: digital infrastructure and data ecosystems, AI adoption across sectors, skills and capacity development, and regulatory and ethical AI frameworks, supported by appropriate governance mechanisms.
Participation of representatives from public, academic, industry, and civil sectors.
As a member of the Working Group, NCC Montenegro plays a key role in integrating high-performance computing (HPC) and advanced digital technologies into the national AI strategic framework by promoting HPC as a foundational enabler of AI development, supporting data-intensive AI innovations and applications, and aligning national priorities with European HPC and AI initiatives.
The development of the AI Strategy 2026–2030 represents a significant opportunity for Montenegro to strengthen its digital economy, foster innovation and competitiveness, enhance public services, and position itself within the broader European AI landscape. Through its active participation in this process, NCC Montenegro contributes to shaping a resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented AI ecosystem, grounded in robust infrastructure, accessible advanced technologies, skilled human capital, and strong collaborative governance.
As part of the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Information Technology – IT 2026, held in Žabljak, a three-day programme of activities dedicated to the application of high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) in science, industry, and digital transformation was organized. The event brought together researchers, representatives of National Competence Centres, IT companies, and international partners with the aim of exchanging knowledge, presenting project results, and strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.
EuroCC2 and EuroCC4SEE at the 30th anniversary edition og the IEEE Information Technology Conference – IT Zabljak 2026
During all three days of the conference, morning sessions were dedicated to presentations of scientific papers, where researchers presented the results of their work in the fields of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, data science, and digital technologies. These sessions enabled discussions on current scientific trends and the exchange of ideas between authors and conference participants.
Day one – scientific sessions, workshop, and project presentations
The programme of the first day began with a morning block of four parallel sessions, two held in conference halls and two organized in a virtual format. Within these sessions, scientific papers covering contemporary topics in AI, HPC, data analytics, digital transformation, and software engineering were presented, followed by active discussions between authors and participants.
Introduction to NCC Montenegro activities and preparation for the workshop
Later in the day, the workshop “Application of HPC and AI to Enhance the Tourism Offer” was held, focusing on the development of proof-of-concept solutions and the practical application of supercomputing and artificial intelligence to enhance the tourism offer.
Particular emphasis was placed on solutions integrating HPC infrastructure, demonstrating how advanced computing resources can support data analysis, personalization of tourism services, and optimization of tourism processes.
Wotkshop on HPC and AI applications aimed at tourism sector
Outside the scientific sessions, Wednesday was also marked by the event “Project trade fair & dissemination of results”, where projects and innovative solutions in the fields of AI and HPC were presented. Solutions such as GetMoved, PAID-T, Wasco AI, Generative AI Intelligent Process Automation Platform, DeepMark, and AI Heal were showcased, further strengthening the connection between the research and business communities and enabling the exchange of experiences between researchers and companies.
Day two – panel on the application of HPC technologies in science and industry
On the second day of the conference, the panel “Application of HPC in Science and Industry – Real Examples and Success Stories” was held and moderated by Sandra Tinaj (NCC Montenegro). The panel was organized in two parts.
The first part focused on a discussion about the institutional framework and the strategic development of the AI and HPC ecosystem in Montenegro. The discussion involved Đorđe Krivokapić and Sandra Tinaj.
Discussing strategic development of the AI and HPC ecosystem in Montentegro
Đorđe Krivokapić presented the key elements of the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, including planned activities, infrastructure development, and support mechanisms for research and innovation. Special emphasis was placed on strengthening the institutional framework that enables the integration of HPC and AI technologies into various sectors of society, as well as creating an environment that fosters cooperation between government institutions, academia, and industry.
Sandra Tinaj presented the activities of the National Competence Centre for HPC in Montenegro (NCC Montenegro) within the EuroCC and EuroCC4SEE projects, including the organization of training activities, support for researchers and companies, and assistance in accessing European supercomputing resources through the EuroHPC initiative.
HPC applications through the work of NCCs and industry in SEE
The second part of the panel focused on presenting concrete examples of HPC applications through the work of National Competence Centres and industry.
Ana Lalović (Verlab) presented the activities of NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the use of HPC technologies in medical and biomedical research, including the analysis of medical data and the development of advanced diagnostic models. Boro Jakimovski presented the activities of NCC North Macedonia, with a particular focus on industrial applications of HPC technologies and cooperation with companies developing solutions based on AI and advanced analytics.
Sandra Tinaj presented the activities of NCC Montenegro through Proof of Concept projects, which enable companies and researchers to test and develop innovative solutions using HPC infrastructure and expert support.
Milutin Pavićević (Montenegrin AI Association) discussed the perspective of industry and the importance of cooperation between academia and companies. He particularly emphasized the competencies needed by young IT engineers in the context of HPC technologies, including knowledge of parallel programming, large-scale data processing, and the development of scalable AI solutions.
prof Ramo Sendelj from MontEDIH at the panel
Ramo Šendelj (MONTEDIH) also participated in the panel, speaking about the importance of cooperation between the MONTEDIH and EuroCC4SEE projects in supporting the digital transformation of companies and developing an innovation ecosystem based on HPC and AI technologies.
In addition, B2B meetings were held between NCCs, as well as between NCCs, companies, and researchers.
Day three – EuroCC4SEE session and experiences of National Competence Centres
On the third day of the conference, the session “EuroCC4SEE – What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go Next?” was held, dedicated to the results and experiences of National Competence Centres in the field of HPC.
The session was opened by Tomo Popović from NCC Montenegro, who presented the activities implemented within the EuroCC and EuroCC4SEE projects, including training activities, cooperation with companies, and support for accessing European supercomputers. NCC Montenegro has organized more than 30 training events attended by around 500 participants, collaborated with more than 15 companies, and provided support for more than 10 applications to the EuroHPC initiative, including practical work on European supercomputing clusters.
During the session, the activities of National Competence Centres from the region were also presented.
Session dedicated to EuroCC4SEE Lessons Learned with participation of industry representatives
Marija Mitrović Dankulov presented the activities of NCC Serbia, including the development of HPC infrastructure such as the Paradox cluster, the AI cluster, and the national data center in Kragujevac, which will support the EuroCC3 and AI Factory satellite projects. She also presented the results of the NCC’s work, successful HPC use cases, and experiences in cooperation with academia and industry.
Ozlem Sari from NCC Turkey presented the results achieved over the past three years, including numerous training activities, info days, proof-of-concept projects, and success stories developed in cooperation with academia and industry, as well as the HPC infrastructure and regional initiatives that contributed to spreading knowledge about HPC technologies.
Sarah Spahić presented the activities of NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Verlab Institute, including training and workshops for academia and the public sector, consultations and support for research projects, and cooperation with companies such as Arti Analytics, Plastoflex, and Bosnalijek.
Gjorgji Madjarov presented the activities of NCC North Macedonia and an overview of activities implemented through the EuroCC and EuroCC4SEE projects, with a particular focus on cooperation with IT companies and organizations with domain expertise relevant for the development of AI and HPC solutions.
Several representatives presented their solutions and experiences with HPC and NCC support
In the second part of the session, projects of Montenegrin companies using HPC and AI technologies were presented. Companies showcased innovative solutions such as the AI doctor developed by OneAI, the Wasco AI assistant by Five G, the DeepMark platform for audio watermarking, as well as solutions from ITAS, Trid Tech, Uhura, and Paid MNE that use HPC infrastructure for simulations, AI model development, and optimization of complex processes.
At the end of the session, Ramo Šendelj emphasized the importance of cooperation between the EuroCC and MONTEDIH projects, highlighting opportunities for joint activities and support for Montenegrin companies in various areas of digital transformation.
Strengthening the HPC ecosystem through collaboration between science and industry
The three-day programme within the IT Žabljak 2026 conference highlighted the importance of collaboration between the research community, industry, and European initiatives in the development of HPC and AI technologies. Through scientific sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and project presentations, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences, present innovative solutions, and identify new opportunities for cooperation.
There was over 20 representatives from comapnies that utilized EuroHPC HPC access
Activities implemented within the EuroCC4SEE project have further contributed to strengthening the regional HPC ecosystem and promoting the application of supercomputing and artificial intelligence in science, industry, and the public sector.
