The newly elected President of Montenegro, mr Jakov Milatović, congratulated the cluster on its achievements, promised continued support, and emphasized the cluster’s importance as a cornerstone of technological development, economic growth, and social prosperity.

ICT Cortex Cluster marked its two-year anniversary by bringing together renowned ICT companies and communities in Montenegro, creating new business opportunities through synergy, and contributing to the digital transformation at the national level, while also promoting Montenegro internationally as a significant destination for IT investments.

In the past year, the cluster initiated eight projects worth 20 million euros, organized over 30 events, enrolled 400 participants in the Cortex Academy, launched a housing project, and expanded the Cortex community with 11 new members.

Vladan Tabaš, the President of the Board of the ICT Cortex Cluster, addressed the attendees at the celebration, highlighting their proud achievements.

“40 Cortex members employ 1,388 workers in the IT sector, and last year we generated revenues of 162 million euros, with a profit exceeding 11.5 million euros. We are growing rapidly, having multiplied our revenues, turnover, and number of employees in recent years, and the number of companies has also increased,” emphasized Tabaš.

He also mentioned the significant influx of IT experts from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, who brought additional knowledge and expertise, expressing hope that they would serve as excellent catalysts for the development of Montenegro’s ICT scene. Tabaš presented acknowledgments to partners who provided significant support in the implementation of activities in 2022, including representatives from the EBRD, UNOPS, Crnogorski Telekom, Help Montenegro, and special recognition for personal contributions to the work of ICT Cortex to Mr. Džemal Lekić.

The event at the CUE Hotel was attended by the newly elected President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, who, during his ministerial tenure in the Montenegrin government, supported the idea of the ICT Cortex Cluster.

In his address, Milatović said, “I am pleased to be here tonight to congratulate you on your second anniversary, to congratulate this exciting and growing ICT community in Montenegro on everything you have achieved in the past two years. Today, this is a respected community of 40 members with revenues close to 200 million euros. As the President of Montenegro, I promise you that I will continue to support your work, efforts, and dedication even more strongly because I truly believe that you are a crucial foundation for technological development and serve as a pillar for economic growth and social prosperity.“

Tarik Zaimović, the Executive Director of ICT Cortex, highlighted the cluster’s new project, Cortex Village, worth 16 million euros, which will provide housing solutions for 115 employees and their families, but he also announced new projects.

“Now, we want to take it a step further and initiate the first phase of the ICT Hub’s construction. We already have seven companies eager to invest in this complex, which will create an environment enabling them to generate new revenues, start-ups, and investments. Within it, we aim to have a research-technology center, showcasing true collaboration with the academic community. We have demonstrated our ability to manage investments worth 16 million euros, starting from scratch with the housing project,”announced Zaimović.

Branimir Bukilić, the President of the ICT Cortex Assembly, attributed this great success to the friendship and synergy among employees in the ICT sector. He also reminded attendees of the challenges that lie ahead for the community.

“I would like to mention the Smart Specialization Strategy S3, which has positioned the ICT sector as a horizontal branch of the economy. Together with my colleagues, I would like to transform it into a vertical branch, as the figures we have presented indicate it is possible. Therefore, I call upon everyone to invest maximum effort and energy to achieve this in the coming period,” said Bukilić.

The celebration of the second anniversary of the ICT Cortex Cluster was preceded by the 2nd Annual Assembly, during which new members of the Cluster’s Board of Directors were elected: Miloš Milošević (Fleka), Filip Vulić (Ai Solution), Filip Anđelić (Oykos Development), and Branimir Bukilić (Data Design). They joined the existing board members: Vladan Tabaš (Čikom), Dejan Petković (Coinis), and Danilo Purić (Bild Studio).