News – Page 4 – HPC4S3.ME

01.03.2024.09.03.2024.

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

27.02.2024.03.03.2024.

HPC4S3ME featured at the IEEE IT2024 conference

HPC4S3ME project was presented at the 28th IEEE IT2024 Conference that took place 21-24 Feb 2024 in Zabljak, Montenegro. The presentation took place in a poster section dedicated to project presentations. We had a chance to talk to conference attendees, our colleauges from Montenegro and abroad. Also, the next day we had a large group of students participating in the EuroCC Workshop on HPC and Industry Applications, where we had a chance to discuss the project posters and take their attention to HPC4S3ME and other projects presented at the conference. Furhtermore, during the conference we had a scientific paper that was based on the research conducetd bz young researchers.

HPC4S3ME presented in the special section dedicated to project results

The attendance was over 100 people during the conference

All the project posters were present throughout the whole conference

17.02.2024.17.02.2024.

Getting ready for IEEE IT2024

As UDG is one of co-organizers of the 28th IEEE Conference on Information Technology 2024, we are actively preparing for our participation. HPC4S3ME project will be presented in the special session dedicated to project results dissemination on Wednesday. Also, we will have a conference paper presenteation that will take place on Thursday. This paper will discuss the use of AI and HPC for development of applications for cultural heritage preservations and their valorization in tourism.

The conference will have a rich program involving a whole afternoon EUROCC2 Workshop on HPC and Industry applications, as well as invited lecture on LLMs and round table discussion on AI on Friday late afternoon.

09.02.2024.

Workshop on HPC and Industry Applications by EuroCC

Registration is open for the upcoming EuroCC Training Event – High Performance Computing and Industry Applications. This event is organized in alignment with the 28th International Information Technology IEEE Conference IT 2024, traditionally taking place in Žabljak, Montenegro. The workshop is organized in hybrid mode. EuroCC NCC Montenegro is organizing this event in collaboration with NCCs from Cyprus, Slovenia, Turkiye, Romania, Netherlands, and North Macedonia. You can register for the event by clicking on the image below or at this link.

You can find the agenda and event details at the NCC Motnenegro website (link).

More info on NCC Montenegro website (click on image)

01.02.2024.16.04.2024.

AI-AGE: Artificial Intelligence Supported Identification of Novel Non-invasive Biomarkers of Aging

Another AI and S3 related project is granted for implementation at UDG. The AI-AGE project proposes the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms and evaluation of state-of-the-art AI tools to train and create prediction models to identify novel non-invasive biomarkers of aging, and increased risk for development of age-related conditions. The idea is to utilize a large dataset of annotated retinal images from the UK Biobank, to explore deep learning (DL) techniques, most commonly based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), such as U-Net and Res-Net, and transformers, but also to expand the research on the use of ensemble methods that combine ML techniques to improve performance and accuracy.

The eye serves as a window for non-invasive assessment of retinal vascular and neural tissue, offering valuable insight into our health. Extensive research has established the association between changes in retinal morphology and the increased risk for many age-related chronic diseases. These changes are also linked to healthy aging, albeit more pronounced in the presence of age-related chronic conditions. This project will provide sustainability for HPC4S3ME activities and it implementation spans from 2024 to 2026.

AI-AGE project is implemented through partnership between the Faculty for Information Systems and Technologies (UDG) and Faculty of Medicine (UoM). The project is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, grant number 04-082/23-2528/1.

05.01.2024.09.02.2024.

Conference proceedings for MEDICON’23 and CMBEBIH’23

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 Healthcare. The following papers submitted by the HPC4S3ME young reearchers have been published in the proceedings:

Dejan Babic, Luka Filipovic, Sandra Tinaj, Ivana Katnic, Stevan Cakic, “Ten Year Cardiovascular Risk Estimation: A Machine Learning Approach”, Proceedings of MEDICON 2023 Conference, Sarajevo, Sep 2023, pp 605-612
Ivan Jovovic, Marko Grebovic, Lejla Gurbeta-Pokvic, Tomo Popovic, Stevan Cakic, “Liver Diseases Classification Using Machine Learning Algorithms”, Proceedings of MEDICON 2023 Conference, Sarajevo, Sep 2023, pp 585-593
Tamara Pavlovic, Marko Grebovic, Armin Alibasic, Milica Vukotic, Stevan Sandi, Forecasting Icterus with Machine Learning: An Advanced Classification Model analysis”, Proceedings of MEDICON 2023 Conference, Sarajevo, Sep 2023, pp 673-683
Zoja Scekic, Luka Filipovic, Ivana Katnic, Nela Milosevic, Stevan Sandi, “Thyroid Hormones Parameter-Based Classification of Patient Health Status: An analysis of Machine Learning techniques”, Proceedings of MEDICON 2023 Conference, Sarajevo, Sep 2023, pp 673-683

The book can be accessed at the Springer website (link).

25.12.2023.31.12.2023.

EuroCC and AI4S3 Hackaton

On 23 Dec 2023, our researchers participated in the organisation of EuroCC and AI4S3 Hackaton. The hackaton was organized in the context of EuroCC implementing AI4S3 education project that was funded by the Innovation Fund of Montenegro. There was 24 teams presenting their projects and around 50 attendees. There were students from BSc, MSc and PhD level, as well as some industry representatives.

The Hackaton focused on HPC/AI and Comuter Vision applications in S3 domains

There was 24 teams that presented their projects

12.12.2023.12.12.2023.

EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence in the EU will be regulated by the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law. Find out how it will protect you. As part of its digital strategy, the EU wants to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology. AI can create many benefits, such as better healthcare; safer and cleaner transport; more efficient manufacturing; and cheaper and more sustainable energy. Read the whole text at European Parlament news portal following this link.

This illustration of artificial intelligence has in fact been generated by AI (source)

10.12.2023.10.12.2023.

EUROCC2 Workshop “Digital Transformation and HPC/AI” for BSc students

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.

The workshop was organized for BSc students by EUROCC NCC Monteengro team

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).

Students presented their project ideas focused on HPC and AI in Digital transformation

Most of the projects fit into the Montenegrin S3

21.11.2023.21.11.2023.

HPC4S3.ME project presented at the ANSO InnovateYourFuture Workshop

HPC4S3.ME project was presented and featured at the ANSO InnovateYourFuture Workshop organized by UDG and supported by Alliance of International Science Organizations ANSO. This was a part of cross-project collaboration with ANSO InnovateYourFuture project that focuses on Competency traininjg in IoT and AI. The presentation was given by prof. Tomo Popovic, Stevan Cakic, and Dejan Babic, on 18 Nov 2023. There was around 60 attendees in the audience, mainly youg researchers interested in AI applications.

Presenters discussed the objectives of the project, described HPC lab implemented through the project, and explained priority domains of Montenegrin S3 and how IoT/AI and HPC can be utilised to develop and innovate. These application domains include agriculture and food value chain, health and tourism, and energy sectors.