EUROCC Workshop: Application of HPC & AI in energy sector

NCC Montenegro, in collaboration with CIGRE Montenegro, is pleased to announce a collaborative workshop scheduled for March 29, 2024. This workshop is designed to enhance industry relations and explore the applications of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies within the energy sector.
The workshop will provide Montenegrin companies with a comprehensive overview.

More information about the event and registration information can be seen at the NCC Montenegro website (link).

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Successful realization of the IEEE IT2024 Conference

XXVIII international scientific and professional conference “Information technologies” was held from February 21 to 24, 2024 traditionally in Žabljak, organized by: University of Montenegro – Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Donja Gorica – Faculty of Information Systems and Technologies, IT Society Crna Gora, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Organizational Sciences, IEEE Association and IEEE Section for Serbia and Montenegro, with the full support of the company Čikom from Podgorica. Presentations of author’s works and sessions were realized live in the hotel “Gorske oči”, hotel “Žabljak”, but also online. The conference gathered around 200 national and international participants. Link to conference website: https://www.it.ac.me/en/

Authors from 20 countries took part in the conference: Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Ukraine, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and the Philippines. The number of submitted author’s works was 101, of which 67 were accepted and presented, which were reviewed and selected on the basis of the complete work. Topics from various fields are covered such as: image and audio signal processing, acyclic graphs, blockchain technology, information security, standardization, application of artificial intelligence in various fields, management of unmanned vessels, virtual trade and knowledge transfer.

Short video on HPC at IEEE 2024 conference

A special session was dedicated to the presentations of the EuroCC2 project – National Competence Centers for HPC: https://eurocc.udg.edu.me/, the presentation of the Montenegrin Academic Digital Innovation Hub, supported by the DigNEST project : https://dignest.me/#/ , then TRACEWINDU: https://www.tracewindu.eu/, FoodHUB – Center of excellence for digitization of risk assessment in the field of food safety and precise certification of the authenticity of pre-harvested products: https://foodhub .udg.edu.me/, HPC4S3ME: https://hpc4s3me.udg.edu.me/, AI-AGE: https://ai-age.udg.edu.me/, STECCI: https://steccihorizoneu. com/, FishEUTrust: https://fisheutrust.org/, Solar Katun: https://digitalsmart.me/innovation-fund-of-montenegro-solar-katun-project/, Enav: https://enav.ucg. ac.me and COMMECT: https://www.horizoneurope-commect.eu/ . Representatives of Fleka, Čikom and FiveG Group participated in the training.

Short video on IEEE IT2024

As part of the XXVIII scientific-professional conference, those present had the opportunity to participate in workshops, panels and trainings in the field of artificial intelligence, but also to hear the activities carried out by national competence centers in the field of high-performance computing from Cyprus, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Montenegro, Turkey , North Macedonia, Romania, participants in the EuroCC2 project. The project supports the development of innovative solutions by targeted participants in the private and public sector by providing support to interested end users in the use of HPC/HPDA/AI. Activities and innovative solutions based on the use of high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) for applications in industrial domains defined by the Smart Specialization Strategy (2019-2024) for Montenegro were presented.

Traditionally, the conference was successfully completed for the twenty-eighth year in a row, and it fulfilled its goal by pointing out the importance of a multidisciplinary overview of current events and the networking of a large number of university professors and associates, experts and young researchers in the field of information and communication technologies.

Research paper: Hotel Chatbot for Smart Hospitality

The paper “Hotel Chatbot Receptionist for Smart Hospitality” by Ms Sara kovacevic, Tomo Popovic, Ivan Jovovic, and Stevan Cakic was presented at the 28th IEEE International Conference on Information Technology. This is a great example of the engagement of young researchers to utilise HPC/AI tehcnology in the priority domains of S3 Montenegro, in this case tourism and hospitality.

ABSTRACT – The dynamic changes in the global business landscape are being driven by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain, and high-performance computing. Recognizing the pivotal role of digital transformation, particularly in the tourism sector, Montenegro has started embracing innovative solutions. The continuous evolution of technology has significantly influenced the tourism industry presenting an opportunity for digital transformation in the sector. The introduction of chatbots in Montenegrin hotels and resorts emerges as a potential game-changer. This implementation aims not only to reduce waiting times at reception but also to elevate the overall user experience. By adopting hotel chatbots in different hotels, each establishment can have a dedicated knowledge base tailored to its specific policies and regulations. This approach ensures a seamless integration of technology that not only enhances operational efficiency, but also enriches the offerings within the tourism and hospitality sector in Montenegro.

The paper is a result of invlovement of young researchers in HPC/AI research in S3 domain
Ms Sara Kovacevic, a BSc student, presenting the paper at IT2024 conference