Today, a press conference was held at the CUE Hotel, where the housing security project for employees in the IT industry was introduced. The project was attended by project partners and future residents of this housing complex.

The housing security project was initiated by the private sector – 19 IT companies that will provide full support to their 115 employees and their families in resolving an important life issue. In this way, ICT Cortex, the cluster members, as well as project partners, contribute to creating an environment that will reduce the departure of IT professionals from Montenegro and enable them to have a better and safer future in their own country, stated ICT Cortex.

“Thanks to the support of project partners NLB Bank and EUROZOX, conditions have been created for ICT employees to solve their housing issue with significant savings and numerous other benefits. The main goal of this project is to take care of the employees and create a better and higher quality environment in Montenegro so that young people will not leave,” said Natalija Hidić, representative of ICT Cortex.

Due to the fact that experts in the ICT sector often seek new knowledge and higher income abroad, ICT Cortex has decided to offer a solution to the housing issue in order to demonstrate how much they value their workforce and strengthen cooperation in the future.

“We have offered a housing security solution where member companies have accepted to take on the payment of all interest rates during the loan period, which will last from 20 to 25 years for interested employees. They will also provide promissory notes to banks and Eurozox, and we will try our best to help our colleagues and their families settle down and thus establish a stronger bond with our companies and Montenegro,” emphasized Vladan Tabaš, President of the Management Board of the ICT Cortex cluster.

This noble idea was initiated over a year ago, and at that time, it was not clear what values this project would bring. However, over time, it has shown to bring many benefits thanks to the support of project partners.

“When it comes to concrete financial benefits, there are three key aspects. One is the highly competitive price for the quality offered by the construction company Eurozox, extremely favorable conditions for housing loans offered by NLB Bank, and the third is the subsidy of interest rates offered by some companies to their employees,” explained Aleksandar Drekalović, the project manager at ICT Cortex.

Thanks to these three strong pillars on which the project was built, there is an opportunity to create an ambitious project called Cortex Village, which does not follow the typical example of solving housing issues for employees.

“The project aims to create new values such as humanity, unity, synergy, interaction, socialization, education, to provide employees, and future residents, with a completely new and healthier lifestyle. As for the location selection, what satisfied all our criteria was the zone within the detailed urban plan of Titex. The location is longitudinally oriented in the north-south direction, allowing for significantly better positioning of the buildings. It was important for us to concentrate the construction and provide as many open spaces as possible for various entertainment, sports, and recreational areas,” explained Miloš Laković, the project manager of Cortex Village.

Laković reminded us that there will be 115 residential units in five buildings, with a total above-ground surface area of 12,500 square meters. Cortex Village will also include green areas, underground parking, a fitness center, a park, a playground, a community center, and spaces for children. The goal of the project is to bring numerous intangible values and integrate the village’s values into the urban environment.

Such an idea has also been recognized by investors, the construction company Eurozox, which, as a socially responsible company, has decided to showcase construction standards through this project.

“We believe that the Cortex Village project will significantly transform the immediate environment and, therefore, the perception of living in Podgorica as a whole, and beyond,” said Zoran Drobnjak, CEO of Eurozox.

“We have designed the financing structure for future housing solutions in the best possible way and can guarantee not only now but also for the next 25 years. In addition to price, we have leveraged our experience and knowledge as the market leader in housing financing in Montenegro to structure the financing in the best possible way. This project will set new standards for sustainable housing construction and stimulate Montenegro’s overall innovation capacity. It is a visionary project, not only for Montenegro, and NLB Bank is proud to be a part of it, demonstrating our strong social responsibility. It is an honor for us to be a part of this team,” stated Martin Leberle, Chairman of the Management Board of NLB Bank.

The architectural firm A12 contributed to the entire project with its conceptual design, which impressed all involved parties.

“We are very proud of this project, which will soon come to light and start its realization, to the satisfaction of the entire team. The complex will consist of five residential buildings and a sixth one will be the Community Center in the heart of the complex. Care has been taken to provide ample open spaces for the residents of the complex. We have completed the whole story around the complex, and we can say that we have done a really good deed,” emphasized Slobodan Petrović, CEO of A12.

The company Coinis has provided strong support to the Cortex Village project from the very beginning. Dejan Petković, the CEO of Coinis, testifies that the beginning was challenging but expresses satisfaction that they are now in a project phase where its successful destiny is already certain.

“I believe that this project is just the beginning. In less than two years since Cortex’s inception, a community and synergy have already formed among all the companies. I am so happy and motivated because Montenegro is a leader in the region and beyond. To realize such a project is truly incredible,” said Petković.

Today, ICT Cortex is organizing its Annual Assembly, a working meeting of all cluster members, starting at 5:30 p.m. Following that, the “Cortex and Friends” event will be organized, which is expected to be attended by numerous guests from the IT world as well as the private and public sectors of Montenegro.

“It will be an opportunity to express our gratitude to all the partners and friends of the cluster for their contribution to the realization of the shared vision. At the event, we will present the results of our work in 2022 and announce the plans for 2023,” explained Tanja Dukić, Director of Marketing at ICT Cortex.

Video materials:

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Natalija Hidić, ICT Cortex

Aleksandar Drekalović, ICT Cortex

Martin Leberle, Chairman of the Management Board of NLB Bank

Vladan Tabaš, Chairman of the Management Board of ICT Cortex

Zoran Drobnjak, Eurozox

Dejan Petković, Coinis

Miloš Laković, Project Manager