Successful Symposium: HPC and AI Driven Innovation in Healthcare

High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming the landscape of healthcare — moving far beyond research prototypes into solutions that can shape clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. This transition from strategy to real-world impact was the focus of the recent EuroCC2 initiative “Symposium: HPC and AI Driven Innovation in Healthcare”. AI-AGE team participated in organization, coordination, and presentations at this event.

Click to watch video

The Vision: Bridging Strategy and Clinical Practice

The event was organized in cross-collaboration with EuroCC2 & EuroCC4SEE
AI-AGE project was presented and further collaboration with EuroCC3 was discussed

Healthcare is today generating vast volumes of data — from medical imaging to electronic health records, genomics, wearable sensors and beyond. HPC provides the computational power needed to process and analyse this data at scale, while AI techniques such as deep learning unlock patterns that are invisible to traditional analysis methods. Together, HPC and AI form a powerful synergy for healthcare innovation:

  • Accelerated diagnostics: AI models trained on large annotated datasets can assist clinicians by accurately identifying disease signs in imaging and other modalities.
  • Biomarker discovery and precision medicine: High-throughput computing enables the discovery of subtle biological signals indicative of disease progression or treatment response.
  • Predictive and personalised care: HPC-enabled AI workflows can predict patient outcomes and support real-time clinical decision making.
Symposium included presentations of successs stories from the region

This strategic capability — from data to insights to impact — was the core theme explored through EuroCC2 activities in Montenegro and the wider South-Eastern Europe region.

Key Takeaways for Healthcare Innovation

  1. From Research to Clinical Utility
    HPC and AI solutions are no longer confined to laboratories. With appropriate infrastructure, data governance and clinical integration pathways, these technologies are being translated into tools that support healthcare professionals in diagnosis and treatment.
  2. Regional and Cross-Institutional Collaboration
    The EuroCC2 framework — including the National Competence Centre Montenegro — brings together academic institutions, healthcare providers, and technology partners to share resources, expertise, and training. These collaborative ecosystems are essential for building sustainable HPC-AI capacity in healthcare.
  3. Capacity Building and Skills Development
    One of the crucial pillars of impactful HPC and AI adoption is training. Workshops, seminars, and hands-on sessions equip researchers, clinicians, and students with the skills to leverage HPC and AI tools effectively in their domains.
  4. Enabling Infrastructure Access
    Through EuroCC2 and related programmes, researchers and practitioners gain access to European HPC resources — reducing barriers to entry for high-end computing and enabling complex analyses that were previously impractical.

What This Means for Montenegro and Beyond

Montenegro, alongside partner regions across Europe, is building the foundation for a healthcare ecosystem that integrates HPC and AI into everyday clinical workflows. By investing in strategic computing infrastructure, enabling cross-sector collaboration, and fostering technical expertise, the potential to improve patient outcomes, streamline clinical processes, and support data-driven medicine is growing stronger.

The event gathered representatives from Healthcare and IT sectors already involved in research and development of HPC and AI driven solutions for healthcare and medical research. More info at NCC Montenegro site: [link].

Over 20 participants in the Symposium, important discussion of next steps

HPC & AI in Healthcare: From Research to Clinical Practice in Montenegro and SEE

High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly moving beyond research laboratories into real clinical environments. Across Montenegro and the SEE region, promising AI solutions have been developed for medical image analysis, biomarker detection, and predictive diagnostics. The critical challenge today is ensuring their structured transition from research prototypes to validated, deployable tools within healthcare systems.

Symposium on HPC and AI in Healthcare and Medicine co-organiozed by Ai-AGE

This event addresses precisely that transition. It focuses on how HPC infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration, and coordinated ecosystem support can accelerate the integration of AI into everyday clinical practice. Particular attention will be given to available computational capacities, real-life use cases, and pathways toward sustainable deployment.

The event is organized as a joint initiative between NCC Montenegro and NCC Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the broader framework of EuroCC 2 and EuroCC4SEE. It also represents a form of cross-project pollination with the AI-AGE project, demonstrating how research-driven innovation can evolve into applied healthcare solutions through regional cooperation.

AI-AGE will be featured in the presentation session

Researchers, clinicians, innovators, and industry partners are invited to join the discussion, exchange expertise, and contribute to shaping the next steps for HPC- and AI-driven healthcare across Southeast Europe. The event is scheduled for Friday, 13 Feb 2026. Please contact NCC Montenegro for further details.

AI-AGE at IEEE IT2026: Research, Collaboration, and Young Talent

The AI-AGE project will be actively featured at the INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2026 (IT 2026), the 30th edition of a long-standing international scientific and professional conference bringing together academia, industry, and the wider innovation ecosystem. The conference taktes place in Zabljak, 24-28 February.

As part of the project presentation session, AI-AGE will showcase its ongoing research on AI-driven biomarkers of ageing, with a particular focus on advanced data analytics, computer vision, and high-performance computing applied to biomedical and health-related domains. This session provides an excellent opportunity to present project objectives, methodologies, and early scientific insights to a broad and interdisciplinary audience.

Click on image to open IT2026 website

In addition to the project presentation, AI-AGE researchers will actively participate in the conference program, contributing to scientific discussions and knowledge exchange across multiple sessions. Importantly, young researchers involved in the AI-AGE project will present a scientific paper, highlighting the project’s strong commitment to capacity building, early-stage researcher development, and excellence in applied AI research.

AI-AGE featured in the promo video by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation

AI-Age project is featured in promo videos created by the Ministry for Education, Science and Innovation. Our PhD students dr Isidora Rubezic-Lukic and mr Dejan Babic presentd the progress on the project and current results (MPNI on Instagram link).

Developing different AI tools to support identification of new biomarkers of aging

The team successfully established all core foundations for research, including launching the official project website, extending UK Biobank data access to both partner institutions, and deploying new HPC/AI infrastructure needed for biomedical image analysis. Young researchers received extensive training through EUROCC, TRACEWINDU, HPC4S3ME, and AIFusion programs, while interdisciplinary cooperation between UDG and the Faculty of Medicine was strengthened. The project also achieved early scientific dissemination through a poster presentation at EAsDEC 2024 in Milan and participation at IT2024 in Žabljak.

mr Dejan Babic (PhD candidate) in the AI lab at the Faculty for information systems and technologies

In parallel, significant progress was made on doctoral research activities: one initial PhD proposal was submitted and defended, and research questions for two doctoral theses were defined in alignment with AI-AGE goals. WP1 and WP2 outputs were fully completed, while WP3 research—focused on AI/ML models for retinal biomarkers of aging—was initiated ahead of schedule. These accomplishments provide a strong foundation for validating hypotheses, developing advanced AI models, and expanding international collaboration in the second project year.

Promo video on AI-AGE created and posted by the Ministry (MPNI)

AI-AGE Showcased at the 13th Science Festival

The AI-AGE project (Artificial Intelligence Supported Identification of Novel Non-invasive Biomarkers of Aging) was presented at the 13th Science Festival – European Researchers’ Night, held on September 26 at the Bemax Arena in Podgorica. As Montenegro’s largest science outreach event, the festival highlighted how research and innovation shape everyday life, and AI-AGE stood out by demonstrating the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) in medicine.

AI-AGE featured at the 13th Science FEstival organized by PRONA

Through AI-AGE, researchers are developing advanced AI models that analyze medical images, such as retinal scans, to identify novel biomarkers of aging. These efforts, supported by HPC resources provided through NCC Montenegro (EuroCC2 and EuroCC4SEE), aim to accelerate early detection of age-related diseases and advance personalized healthcare. By bridging AI, HPC, and biomedical science, AI-AGE showcases Montenegro’s active role in the European Research Area and its contribution to the future of healthcare innovation.

This event was focused on connecting science, innovation and society
AI-AGE was part of the presentation related to HPC and AI

Inaugural Lecture of Prof. Dr. Nataša Popović at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro

On September 10, 2025, Prof. Dr. Nataša Popović, Head of the Department of Medical Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, delivered her inaugural lecture titled “AI-AGE: Artificial Intelligence in the Identification of Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Aging.”

This lecture officially marked her election to the academic rank of Full Professor, representing one of the most significant milestones in an academic career at the University of Montenegro. In her lecture, Prof. Popović presented key insights from the AI-AGE project, which integrates artificial intelligence and biomedicine to identify novel, non-invasive biomarkers of biological age. The project addresses the limitations of conventional retinal image analysis by applying advanced AI techniques for vessel segmentation and deep learning-based prediction models, contributing to the early detection of accelerated aging and the promotion of healthy longevity.

Ai-Age featured inte inaugural lecture of prof. Natasa Popovic

Prof. Popović emphasized that this interdisciplinary initiative not only advances the understanding of aging mechanisms but also supports the translation of scientific findings into clinical and public health practice, with the goal of improving the quality of life for the aging population.

AI-AGE featured in the EuroCC4SEE seminar “5 Beats of Intelligence”

Successful presentation and from Dejan Babic from University of Donja Gorica at the EuroCC4SEE Seminar organized by NCC Turkiye. This was a part of the EuroCC4SEE project, five countries – Türkiye, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina – have joined forces to present an engaging online seminar series titled: “5 Beats of Intelligence: AI Meets Diverse Domains”.

Successful presentation at the Seminar series, around 25 attendees

More details on schedule of seminar presentations and and registrations can be accessed at NCC Turkiye website at the foillowing link.

The presentation covered use cases from the AI-AGE project implemented at UDG with NCC support

AI-AGE researcher gave a presentation at CANU

Researcher and associate at the University of Donja Gorica, Dejan Babić, MA, participated in the panel “Digital Economy” organized by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Department of Social Sciences. In his presentation, he shared his impressions from a recent visit to China, emphasizing the openness and cordiality of the Chinese hosts, as well as the high level of professionalism at universities. He particularly emphasized the way in which China, as a global leader in the field of artificial intelligence, strategically invests in the development of infrastructure and human capital, which enables the rapid application of innovations and the shaping of a modern digital economy through the synergy of the academic community and industry.

Presentation on experiences from the mobility visit to Bejing in China

In the continuation of his presentation, Dejan Babić MA also presented parts of his doctoral research focused on the application of artificial intelligence in medicine, especially in the analysis of aging biomarkers through the fundus, which he is implementing through the AIAGE project. He highlighted the challenges facing the healthcare sector, such as diagnostic errors and the workload of medical staff, as well as the potential of AI technologies to improve the accuracy, speed and accessibility of healthcare. He paid special attention to generative models, predictive diagnostics and explainable AI, as the most promising directions of development that contribute to the digital transformation of healthcare and open up new opportunities for economic growth through innovation and cooperation between different sectors.

Presentation of research activities based on AI-AGE use case

AI-AGE Shines at the 29th IT 2025 Conference on Information Technology

We are thrilled to share highlights from the successful presentation of the AI-AGE project at the 29th IT Conference, held from February 19-22, 2025, in Žabljak, Montenegro. Our team had the opportunity to present the project’s advancements and engage with a vibrant community of experts and stakeholders over three dynamic days.

🔬 Wednesday – Project Results Fair:
The AI-AGE team showcased the project’s core achievements during the Project Trade Fair and Dissemination of Results. Attendees explored how AI-AGE is pushing the boundaries in identifying novel, non-invasive biomarkers of aging using artificial intelligence. The session allowed for meaningful exchanges with other project teams and stakeholders, sparking discussions on future collaborations and applications of AI in medicine.

AI-AGE project was presented at the IT 2025 spectial session dedicated to dissemination of project results

🎤 Thursday – Expert Presentation:
Mr. Dejan Babić delivered an insightful presentation detailing his research and contributions to the AI-AGE project. His talk covered the technical intricacies of using deep learning for retinal image segmentation, a key part of AI-AGE’s mission to discover aging biomarkers. The session attracted considerable interest, leading to valuable feedback and new ideas for further research.

Mr. Dejan Babic giving a presentation on AI-AGE at the EuroCC2/EuroCC4SEE workshop for young researchers

💡 Friday – Panel Discussion:
Prof. Nataša Popović joined the distinguished panel “ICT Future from the Present”, where she shared perspectives on the evolving role of AI in healthcare and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Her insights emphasized how projects like AI-AGE are not only advancing scientific research but also paving the way for practical healthcare solutions.

prof. Natasa Popovic taking part in the panel discussion on the last day of the conference

We are grateful to the organizers of IT 2025 for providing a platform to share our work and to all participants for their engaging questions and support. The AI-AGE team looks forward to building on this momentum as we continue our mission to revolutionize aging research.

AI-AGE project and progress presentation

On 27 December, University of Donja Gorica hosted a discussion on active project results and progress. Mr Dejan Babic, a young researcher on AI-AGE project gave a presentation on the project and current results.

Mr Dejan Babic gave a presentation on the AI-AGE project
It was a good opportunity to exchange experiances and explore possibilities for collaboration
Dejan went over the current status of the project and plans for the next year