Author: Halyna Hyryavets

The program included expert presentations on the status and progress of the projects, thematic working groups, and two extensive poster sessions where NCC Slovakia showcased its results. The poster highlighted activities in training and skills development in HPC, collaboration with industry and strategic partners, the HPC Ambassador Programme, and community building. We also presented our efforts to foster the adoption of HPC in Slovakia and across Europe, as well as our best practices in communication that enhance visibility and community engagement. The poster session sparked many inspiring discussions and new contacts, opening up opportunities for further collaborations.

In addition, Halyna Hyryavets participated as a speaker in the Pick my brain session  where she presented NCC Slovakia’s successful experience with communication on social media. She focused particularly on the systematic use of LinkedIn and Instagram, which NCC Slovakia strategically employs for different target groups – professionals from industry, academia, and public administration on the one hand, and students and young researchers on the other. Her talk sparked interest in how digital platforms can be effectively used to build visibility and engage the community.

The conference also provided space for working groups focused on communication, training, and industry. These sessions offered opportunities to exchange experiences among partners from across Europe and to discuss how to further develop both national and international HPC ecosystems. Special attention was given to the sustainability of national competence centres after the conclusion of the current projects, with discussions on new forms of collaboration and links to the upcoming EuroCC3 initiative.

The program also included the workshop “Improving communication within a project team”, which provided practical recommendations for more effective communication in project teams and strengthened NCC Slovakia’s ability to apply these insights in everyday practice.

The participation of NCC Slovakia in the final conference in Tallinn significantly contributed to strengthening European cooperation, preparing for the upcoming project phases, and building international ties that will support the development of high-performance computing in Slovakia.

As part of the upcoming workshop in the MATLAB Parallel Computing Roadshow series, we will demonstrate how algorithms and simulations can be scaled using parallel computing. Participants will gain a practical overview of MATLAB’s capabilities, from code optimization and computation parallelization to accessing remote computing clusters. The workshop will also provide space for questions, discussion, and sharing experiences.

Date: October 28, 2025, 9:00 – 12:00
Venue: Online
Speaker: Michal Blaho

Program

• Code optimization for faster execution
• Automatic support for parallel computing
• Parallelization of loops with independent iterations
• Using GPU for accelerating MATLAB code
• Parallel execution of simulations in Simulink
• Working with large-scale data (Big Data)
• Access to remote HPC environments
• Discussion and Q&A

Practical information

The workshop is intended for all participants who wish to get hands-on experience with parallel computing in MATLAB and Simulink. Participants will run examples utilizing multiple CPUs and GPUs. We recommend bringing your own laptop and checking in advance the availability of multiple CPUs and a GPU. If your device does not support these options, we will try to provide an alternative solution.

In the second part of the webinar, we will focus on the most common areas of MATLAB and Simulink applications, illustrated through a series of demonstrations. Finally, we will show how MATLAB capabilities can be leveraged for scaling algorithms and running simulations on powerful HPC clusters. The event is intended for a broad professional audience – participants from both academia and industry. No programming skills are required.

Title: MATLAB in a Nutshell: System Capabilities in Examples and Applications
Lector: Ing. Michal Blaho (HUMUSOFT s.r.o)
Date: 23. september 2025 (9:00 – 11:00)
Format: Online
Language: Slovak

Program:

• MATLAB – Computational Environment
  • Creating Interactive Documents in the Live Editor Tool
  • Computations, Data Analysis, Visualization
• Simulink – System Modeling and Simulation, Model-Based Design
  • Modeling of Physical Systems
  • Algorithm Modeling
• Application of MATLAB and Simulink in Various Domains
  • Data Analysis and Data Science
  • Signal Processing
  • Image Processing, Computer Vision
  • AI and Deep Learning
  • Control System Design
  • Implementation of Algorithms on Target Platforms

At the end, there will be room for discussion and participants’ questions.

That is why we decided to transform our experience into a Best Practice for social media communication tailored to the IT and scientific environment. This document and set of recommendations were developed on the basis of long-term testing of specific approaches in practice and are grounded in tangible, proven results.

Challenges and Communication Needs

When developing our communication strategy, we faced a fundamental challenge: how to effectively and purposefully reach two distinct target groups, each with different expectations regarding content and with different ways of engaging.

On one side, there were professionals from industry, academia, and public administration – individuals with an expert background who are seeking concrete opportunities for collaboration, specialized know-how, and new technological solutions. For this group, credibility, professional authority, and a consistent presence in a professional environment are essential.

On the other side, we needed to reach students, PhD candidates, and young researchers who are interested in new learning opportunities, access to modern technologies, and prospects for careers in science and industry. This group is primarily active on visual and fast-paced platforms, where attractiveness of form, dynamism, and visual style of content play a decisive role.

It became clear that relying solely on NCC Slovakia’s official communication channels would keep our organic reach limited. We therefore needed to find a new way to combine professional communication with an attractive approach tailored to younger audiences.

Our Solution: LinkedIn and Instagram in Complementary Roles

The most effective solution proved to be the systematic use of LinkedIn and Instagram. Each of these platforms has a specific role and addresses a different target audience.

LinkedIn we used it as the primary channel for communication with the professional community. The key breakthrough was that we did not limit ourselves to the official NCC Slovakia page. We also engaged the personal profiles of our employees, HPC ambassadors, and management. They shared posts, tagged the official profile, and created their own content that naturally referred back to our activities. This approach significantly increased the credibility of the content, as it was not spread solely through an institutional channel but also via individuals with professional reputation. The result was not only greater reach, but also more interactions, shares, and organic growth in the number of followers.

Instagram proved to be an ideal platform for communication with students and young researchers. We focused on visually engaging content – posts, stories, and reels – that promoted our courses, workshops, and events. Collaboration with university faculties and student organizations also proved effective. With their consent, we tagged them in our posts, which these institutions then shared further. In this way, our invitations to free courses reached students directly, leading to the quick filling of capacities for several training sessions.

Concrete Results

Our Best Practice delivered measurable results. Within just a few months, we recorded a significant increase in both reach and engagement:

• LinkedIn The number of followers grew organically from 500 to 593 between January and July 2025, providing clear evidence of the effective engagement of personal profiles and consistent activity.
• Instagram Regular campaigns ahead of courses and events proved to be key for registrations – analytics confirmed that the highest number of click-throughs to registration links came directly from Instagram.
• Combination of Both Channels made it possible to specifically reach both professionals and younger audiences and to turn increased awareness into actual participation in our activities.

Why This Approach Is Successful

Our recommendations show that effective communication in the IT and scientific sphere does not require large financial investments. What is essential are primarily an understanding of social media algorithms, the ability to tailor content to the target audience, and the willingness to involve people from within the organization in communication. Thanks to this approach, we were able to increase credibility, reach, and engagement without incurring additional costs.

Conclusion

Our Best Practice demonstrates that systematic and well-thought-out communication on social media can be a key tool for institutions in the fields of IT and science. It not only helps build a brand and raise awareness of activities, but also directly contributes to achieving concrete goals – whether by increasing participation in courses, supporting young researchers, or strengthening collaboration with industry and academia.

Our ambition is to further develop this approach and share it with partners both at home and abroad. We believe that these experiences can also be valuable for other institutions seeking ways to communicate effectively in the digital space while strengthening their professional reputation and societal impact.

We are pleased to note that, based on the document prepared within the EuroCC2 project, we have been invited by the Project Management Team to present our experience at the international all-project conference to be held in Tallinn in September.

We see this as a recognition of our work to date, which at the same time confirms the importance of Slovak expertise in the European context. For us, it is a clear signal that long-term systematic efforts, the building of know-how, and strong links with the international community are delivering results. It also confirms that Slovakia is capable of providing valuable solutions in the fields of HPC and artificial intelligence, while actively contributing to Europe’s common goals in digitalisation, innovation, and technological sovereignty.

We also see this recognition as a commitment – to continue strengthening our expertise, expanding services for industry and academia, and reinforcing international ties that help Slovakia consolidate its position within the European HPC ecosystem.

The series of workshops aims to dispel the long-standing myths surrounding supercomputers. Instead of complex coding and complicated procedures, participants will work with an environment that is natural and easy to use. This will open the door to adopting HPC not only within the expert community but also among the wider public.

The partnership between the National Supercomputing Centre, the National Competence Centre for HPC, HUMUSOFT, and MathWorks represents an important step towards simplifying access to high-performance computing. It brings together strong partners with a clear vision: to bring supercomputers closer to people and to demonstrate that their potential can be harnessed even in areas where it would not have been expected just a short time ago.

Speaker: Domen Vreš
Affiliation: Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana
Title of the lecture: Advances in Artificial Intelligence for the Slovenian Language: Training and Scaling the GaMS Large Language Model
Format: Online
Date and Time: 17 September 2025 at 10:00 CEST

About webinar
This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the development of GaMS, a large language model (LLM) tailored for the Slovenian language. We will begin by exploring the general principles of LLM training and explain why this process requires substantial computational resources and data. Participants will learn about the entire workflow, from data preparation through training to model performance evaluation.

We will then focus on scaling LLM training on EuroHPC infrastructure, specifically on the Leonardo supercomputer. This step made it possible to achieve higher performance and quality of the model. Domen Vreš will also share insights into the technical and organisational aspects of collaborating on such a project.

Finally, we will delve into the specific challenges of developing an LLM for a low-resource language such as Slovenian. What makes this process more demanding? How can the limitations of available data be overcome? And what creative solutions did the team apply in the GaMS model?

A dedicated part of the webinar will address the challenges of evaluating LLMs in low-resource environments, where established benchmarks and comprehensive evaluation datasets are often lacking. The speaker will explain how this gap can be bridged through the collection and integration of human feedback, and how such data is used to further improve and fine-tune the model.

Target audience:
The webinar is suitable for artificial intelligence professionals, researchers in natural language processing, as well as students, technology enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the development and applications of large language models in minority languages.

Whether you are an AI expert or simply seeking inspiration, this webinar offers a clear and engaging insight into the groundbreaking work behind the GaMS model and its significance for the future of Slovenian language processing.
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate and gain valuable insights directly from an expert at the University of Ljubljana.

These experiments should demonstrate the benefits of HPC for the broader SME ecosystem in Europe and showcase concrete success stories that can inspire other businesses to adopt advanced computational technologies. The call is particularly suitable for companies that have not yet had experience with HPC but are facing a technical or business challenge that could be addressed through the use of HPC.

Key Information about the Call:

• Proposal submission deadline: August 26, 2025 at 17:00 (Brussels time)
• Expected duration of experiments: maximum 15 months, planned start date: January 1, 2026
• Total call budget: €4 million
• Proposal language: English
• Submission method: exclusively electronic, in accordance with the requirements set out in the document. Announcement and Proposer’s Guide

The call is open to SMEs from countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme. Please note that the eligibility condition was updated on July 18, 2025 – the decisive factor for determining eligibility is the status of a country’s association as of the call deadline (August 26, 2025).

Key points to address in the proposal:

• Identify the business challenge and describe how HPC can address it.
• Present the expected benefits and positive impact on the business.
• Define the specific objectives, partners, and resources required for the implementation of the experiment.
• Address data protection aspects, budget, and implementation plan.
• Commit to creating a case study on the impacts of the experiment.

Each proposal must be prepared in accordance with the structure outlined in the Proposer’s Guide. The use of the official proposal templates (Part A and Part B) is mandatory.

Are you interested in participating but not sure where to start?
Do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to provide you with a consultation on the call, help you understand the conditions, verify the eligibility of your project, and connect you with suitable partners or research institutions. We can also assist you in preparing your proposal and provide feedback on its quality before submission.

Our ambition is to support Slovak SMEs in entering the digital space and help them fully leverage the potential of HPC. Working with us can simplify the entire process and increase your chances of success in the call.

Contact us and take part in an initiative that can significantly advance your business.

The meeting was marked by themes of inclusion, openness, and a shared vision of a digital future that leaves no one behind.In the beginning was the Word. And if the future is to belong to everyone, it too must begin with the Word,”echoed during the conversations that went beyond the realm of technology and touched upon the very essence of what a 21st-century society should look like.

Lucia Maličková has long worked at the intersection of technological innovation and societal benefit. In her role at the National Competence Centre for HPC, she focuses on connecting Slovak research institutions, companies, and the public sector with the opportunities offered by supercomputing and artificial intelligence. Her goal is to ensure that high-performance computing is not the privilege of a narrow group of experts, but a tool that serves people – in science, industry, and social innovation.

Ján Bihari, founder of Tibi Digital, is a long-standing activist and expert in bridging the digital divide. With passion and dedication, he develops educational and technological tools aimed at the Roma community – particularly through language, gaming, and artificial intelligence. In his projects, he collaborates with Roma user experience testers, connecting cutting-edge development with authentic life experiences and real community needs.

Together, they explored ways to connect high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and digital inclusion. Their discussions focused on the possibilities of creating inclusive digital tools that could serve marginalized communities – not merely as a form of assistance, but as a genuine means of empowerment and participation in the digital economy.

Their shared vision is rooted in the belief that technological progress must go hand in hand with social responsibility. Both Maličková and Bihari see meaning in connecting technology with real human stories – in places where artificial intelligence and supercomputing can help bridge divides, level the playing field, and turn prejudice into opportunity.

Bihari’s approach is grounded in a deep belief that technology holds the potential to bring about equality – if harnessed correctly. He develops applications that respond to demographic challenges, such as population aging, while simultaneously creating opportunities for Roma women in the field of caregiving.

Lucia Maličková praised his work as clear evidence that innovation can—and must—be inclusive if it is to have a real and lasting impact.

“We look forward to future collaboration. Because technological progress only truly matters when it is accessible to everyone – and when it transforms lives for the better. Inclusion is not just a goal; it is a fundamental prerequisite for a just society.“

The webinar featured leading experts in the field: Prof. Dr. F. LeRon Shults from NORCE and the University of Agder (Norway), who specializes in cultural cybernetics and modeling extremism, and Dr. Justin Lane, co-founder of CulturePulse AI and Scientific Director of the DEKK Institute, a pioneer in multi-agent AI and the creator of societal digital twins.

The webinar showcased real-world applications of these technologies, including simulations developed for the United Nations, the Norwegian government, and conflict modeling such as the Israel–Palestine crisis. It also introduced the Slovak Digital Twin initiative, which leverages the Devana supercomputer to run large-scale national simulations.

The program also included a discussion on the ethical aspects of using AI and the opportunities for international collaboration.

The webinar was organized by the National Supercomputing Centre Slovakia in collaboration with NCC Norway and NCC Portugal as part of the EuroCC project activities.