The “StepUp with Cortex” project successfully finalized

The “StepUp with Cortex” project, which the ICT Cortex cluster implemented in cooperation with the Capital City of Podgorica, with the support of the Kingdom of Norway through the “Norway for you – Montenegro” project, was closed by marking the final event of the project on November 14, 2022. In the period from March to November of this year, five training programs were implemented, a total of 10 trainers were engaged, and about 100 employees from 12 companies underwent training; employees from the ICT Cortex executive office also successfully completed agile project management training; recommendations were made for improving the business environment for IT companies at the level of the Capital City. The following companies participated in this project: Alicorn, Amplitudo, Archimede, Bild studio, Codepixel, Codeus, Data Design, DigitalBee, Fleka, Logate, Omnitech, and Oykos Development. The final event of the project was attended by training participants, representatives of companies – project users, trainers, and lecturers, as well as representatives of the Capital City and ICT Cortex. The cooperation of the Capital City and ICT Cortex on this project is another confirmation of joint action aimed at improving the overall business environment and creating an innovative ecosystem for IT companies at the level of the Capital City, where conditions are created for the development of innovative products and their placement on international markets.

Study visit: Bosnia and Herzegovina

The period behind us was marked by a study visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ICT Cortex team together with representatives of the companies Amplitudo, Bild Studio, Čikom, and Simes Inženjering and accelerator Digital Den was in Sarajevo and Mostar from 6-9. December. Within four days of a condensed schedule, we visited leading IT companies and innovative organizations in Sarajevo and Mostar, the companies Atlantbh, Authority Partners, Bosnia, and Herzegovina Futures Foundation, Fondacija Mozaik, Isatis, Klika, NSoft, Ministry of Programming, Mistral, PING Software & Services, Symphony, Verlab, and Zira. Our hosts in Sarajevo were representatives of the Bit Alliance association, while in Mostar it was the Science and Technology Park Intera, where B2B meetings with IT companies from Mostar were organized. This study visit was an ideal opportunity to connect and exchange the knowledge of the representatives of our delegation with the most important actors in the ICT market of BiH.

The “StepUp with Cortex” project of ICT Cortex and the Capital City of Podgorica improved the competitiveness of 12 small IT companies

ICT Cortex, in cooperation with the Capital city of Podgorica, realized the project “StepUp with Cortex”, which was supported by the Kingdom of Norway through the project “Norway for you – Montenegro”. The “StepUp with Cortex” project, which the ICT Cortex cluster implemented in cooperation with the Capital City of Podgorica, with the support of the Kingdom of Norway through the “Norway for you – Montenegro” project, in the period from March to November of this year, was aimed at improving and education of employees from 12 member companies, to improve competitiveness through the upgrading of institutional, administrative and organizational capacities and business skills of employees. The following companies participated in this project: Alicorn, Amplitudo, Archimede, Bild studio, Codepixel, Codeus, Data Design, DigitalBee, Fleka, Logate, Omnitech, and Oykos Development. The final event of the project was organized yesterday, which was attended by training participants, representatives of companies – project beneficiaries, trainers, and lecturers, as well as representatives of the Capital City and ICT Cortex. Chief Project Officer,, Ferida Mandić, emphasized the importance of this project. “The “StepUp with Cortex” project, in the period from March to November of this year, was aimed at the training and education of employees from 12 member companies, to improve competitiveness through upgrading the institutional, administrative, and organizational capacities and business skills of employees.” pointed out Mandić and added that the results of the training were very successful. “Five education programs were implemented, a total of 10 trainers were engaged; about 100 employees from 12 companies underwent training; employees from the ICT Cortex executive office also completed agile project management training; recommendations were made to improve the business environment for IT companies at the level of the Capital City.” Director of the Center for Information System of the Capital City, Džemal Lekić, pointed out that the administration of the Capital City is dedicated to the improvement of the sector of micro, small and medium enterprises, which is one of the key factors for accelerated economic development. “The ICT sector in the capital is recognized as one of the most important sectors for the future economic development of Podgorica because it supports all other sectors of the economy. In recent years, the administration of the Capital City has recognized digitization as one of the priorities in the development of Montenegrin society in terms of processes that can affect the improvement of the quality and standard of life of citizens. The goal is for ICT to become a strong sector of the economy that could become Montenegro’s leading export activity. Through the cooperation of the actors in the ICT community, there will be an increase in the number of employees, primarily professional staff, so the development and application of ICT are of crucial importance for economic development”, stressed Lekić. The project manager of the UNOPS office in Montenegro, Armen Čekić, pointed out that he was particularly glad that the ICT sector recognized the benefits of human resource development. “The development of human resources is the most important for the development of a company, and for the growth of the economy, which also entails the development of technology. So it should be continuously developed. I also hope that the others will follow this approach to their further development”, Čekić concluded. Trainer and NLP coach at NLP Network, Danka Ćetković, expressed her gratitude for the idea of such a project and emphasized that she is very proud of her students. “We hung out and worked together for three months, and at first it wasn’t easy, but over time we realized that the hidden goal was to connect, that we are not competing with each other, but supporting each other. The topics we covered were everyday ones that everyone needs. Especially in the IT sector, because the focus is on professional knowledge, and technological knowledge, to be the best programmers, and designers. That’s how it should be because the ICT industry is the bright spot of our economy. However, for it to be able to deliver everything that is expected, someone must also think about people. Who will develop all that, master it… Because it is an industry that changes very quickly, is very flexible, and prioritizes efficiency, short deadlines, and innovation. So we have to support people, work on their development, communication and negotiation skills, to overcome their fears, nervousness and the like”, described Ćetković. At the very end, participants were presented with certificates and certificates of completed training, where they shared their impressions from the training. A lot of interaction, group work, and exercises, as they said, facilitated the learning process and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, and they recommend this type of education to people from different spheres because it is of great benefit to everyone. The cooperation of the Capital City and ICT Cortex on this project is another confirmation of joint action aimed at improving the overall business environment and creating an innovative ecosystem for IT companies at the level of the Capital City, where conditions are created for the development of innovative products and their placement on international markets.

First recognition for the cluster in 2022

ICT Cortex was awarded for outstanding contribution to the development of voluntary blood donation. The ICT Cortex cluster is the recipient of an award for outstanding contribution to the development of voluntary blood donation for the year 2021, which was presented on June 14, 2022, at a ceremony on the occasion of the World Day of Voluntary Blood Donors. In just over a year of its existence, the ICT Cortex cluster, in cooperation with its member companies, and through the support of the “Čini dobro” Foundation, has implemented five voluntary blood donation campaigns. “Caring for the community in which we operate is one of the basic principles of the synergistic action of companies within the ICT Cortex cluster, and voluntary blood donation actions provide an opportunity to ensure a safer future for all citizens through a humane gesture.” – they announced from the executive office of ICT Cortex. In the future period, the socially responsible business segment of the ICT Cortex cluster will be realized through the newly created “Čini dobro” Foundation – a non-profit association that brought together successful Montenegrin companies – Amplitudo, Bild studio, Coinis, Codeus, Hipotekarna bank and UNIQA, to unitedly realize initiatives that will have a long-term effect on the entire community. “The focus of the future activities of the “Čini dobro” Foundation will be investing in healthy and progressive ideas, to empower the community through the support of projects in the field of education, support for the development of green initiatives, and the development of digital services. With the vision of becoming recognizable as initiators of changes in society, through the “Čini dobro” Foundation, we will be focused on creating measurable results, guided exclusively by philanthropic motives” – emphasized the ICT Cortex cluster. Following the growth of the IT industry in Montenegro, but also globally, the executive office of the cluster believes that through dedicated work, the Foundation “Čini dobro” will become recognized as an institution for financing and supporting great ideas and projects. For more details, visit the official website – www.cinidobro.me

ICT Cortex gathered the ICT community for the biggest informal meeting so far

Podgorica, PR press service – ICT Cortex begins the establishment of professional committees, which will strengthen the community through the association of experts from both cluster member companies and from numerous areas related to ICT. This was announced at the event marking the successful year of existence as well as the launch of professional committees, which was attended by over 150 representatives of the IT community from 29 member companies of ICT Cortex, as well as partners and associates of the organization. Milena Aković, coordinator of the professional committees, in front of ICT Cortex, said that in the previous year, the cluster managed to connect the economy, the academic community, and institutions and that it signed a contract with the state worth one million euros. “We received funds for internationalization and education. We have become members of numerous professional bodies. We secured a grant worth half a million euros for equipping the Vaso Aligrudić School of Electrical Engineering. We increased the number of members from 11 to 29. We launched numerous initiatives that we are particularly proud of, and which we will continue this year as well,” Aković said. It is planned, as she announced, to establish eight professional committees. “The goal of the board is to connect middle and top management, to act on the community, strengthen capacities within companies, but also to promote the profession. The first board we started is the board for HR and education, which consists of 12 members from IT member companies. In order to be a fully inclusive association, we will organize various focus groups and involve many of you to give your contribution”, said Aković. After the committee for HR and education, a committee for sales and internationalization will be established, followed by a committee for the empowerment of women in ICT. “What we plan to achieve with the boards is joint strengthening, launching of ideas and initiatives and to show through that segment that we can only do more with united forces.” – concluded Aković The president of the board for HR and education, Jelena Janković from the company Amplitudo, said that the goal is to create the best possible environment for all people working in the IT industry, to find all the problems that exist in the market and “to try to fix it”. Also, Janković expressed her hope that the gathering of employees from all member companies of the cluster will continue, and that there will be more similar gatherings. The sponsor of the event was Crnogorski Telekom, and the official part was followed by a party of the IT community with the Ribnica band, which was also supported by sponsors: Nikšićko beer, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, and G3 Spirits.

Applications for Cortex academy are closed!

At exactly midnight, applications for the largest education program in the field of ICT in Montenegro were closed, with a total number of applications – 1,292. The Cortex Academy combined all the education programs of the members of the ICT Cortex cluster, and at the same time provided an additional, online form of education in five areas: programming, project management, software testing, marketing, and design. Considering a large number of applications and the different motives of Cortex Academy participants, in the next step the following groups will be distinguished: Participants of the Cortex Academy in ICT Cortex member companies Educators: Alicorn, Amplitudo, Bild studio, Coinis, Codeus, Codepixel, Data Design, Digital Bee, Logate Academy, Oykos, Omnitech, Optimus Smart Academy, Sky Sat In January, this group of participants is expected to have interviews and/or a selection task at the company that conducts the course in question. The start of education is planned for February 2022. Participants of online courses SEEKING EMPLOYMENT in the field of programming (students and seniors) This group refers to candidates seeking employment in the field of programming. After completing the online training and the selection project, which is necessary to do, candidates have the possibility of employment in companies that are members of ICT Cortex. The deadline for listening to the online course is from January to May. The first condition is to successfully meet the conditions imposed by the course itself. At the end of the course listening period, in May, these candidates will receive a practical task, the successful completion of which will be the ticket to work in companies. Participants of online courses WITHOUT SEARCHING FOR EMPLOYMENT in the field of programming (students and seniors) This group refers to participants who applied for courses in the field of programming to retrain or upgrade, without looking for employment in the field of programming. The group also applies to participants who have applied for courses in other fields: project management, design, software testing and marketing, regardless of whether they are looking for employment in those fields or not. These participants are expected to conscientiously use the opportunity for additional education and fulfill the conditions required by the courses themselves. No additional tasks by ICT Cortex. High school students applying for the Cortex internship: Let’s do IT! For these candidates, the primary online course is the Complete PHP From Scratch Course for Beginners, which is taken from January to March, followed by the first elimination test (March 2022). From March to May, candidates take the next course Object Oriented PHP and MVC, followed by the second elimination test (May 2022). If both tests are passed successfully, the candidates are followed by an eight-week internship in ICT Cortex companies. High school students who take courses for their improvement, without applying for Cortex practice These participants are expected to conscientiously use the opportunity for additional education and fulfill the conditions required by the courses themselves. No additional tasks by ICT Cortex. All registered candidates will receive detailed instructions and information on further steps via e-mail notification. Great support in the realization of this project was given by Help Montenegro (through the Reeconomy project), Crnogorski Telekom, and Cortex Fondacija, which are the initiators of the online courses. Certainly, the greatest gratitude goes to the members of ICT Cortex, the educators who opened their doors to all future members of the ICT community, eager to acquire new knowledge! Alicorn, AmplitudO, Bild studio, Coinis, Codeus, Codepixel, Data Design, Digitalnam Academy, Logate, Oykos Development, Ominitech, Optimus Smart Academy, SkySat For support in the realization and successful promotion of the Cortex Academy, ICT Cortex is also very grateful to other partners: the universities of Montenegro, Donja Gorica, Mediteran, the secondary vocational school in Podgorica, secondary vocational schools and gymnasiums in Berane, Bijelo Polje, Nikšić and Pljevlja, as well as and representatives of the Capital City of Podgorica and the municipalities of Berane, Bijelo Polje, Nikšić and Pljevlja, and our honorary member IPC Tehnopolis.

Members of Cortex winners of numerous recognitions and awards

ICT Cortex was founded by innovative Montenegrin IT companies, which employ some of the most awarded and recognized experts in the field of entrepreneurship, management, and innovation. On Tuesday, July 6, 2021, the awards ceremony was held by the Association of Managers of Montenegro. Laureates for 2020 were selected. On this occasion, an award was presented to our President of the Management Board Sanja Gardašević, for the best manager of micro-enterprises in Montenegro for 2020 – Alicorn. “When we founded Alicorn, we were driven by the desire to create a company we would love to work in. A company that, if one of our dear people asked us, we could say – “this is the right team for you”. We have achieved great results and grown many times over the past three years, but as a manager, I am perhaps most proud of the fact that we have managed to preserve the culture of the company that we care about. ” – Sanja pointed out while talking about the importance of the recognition. In previous years, member companies have been recognized by the business community, through numerous awards from the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, the Union of Employers of Montenegro, as well as the Association of Managers of Montenegro. In 2020, the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro presented the award for innovation to our founding member Amplitudo, and this is also one of the most important awards in Montenegro. The Union of Employers of Montenegro presented the award for “Best Manager in the Economy” in 2018 to Ksenija Iković, creative director of the member company Bild Studio, while Studio Fleka, whose executive director is Miloš Milošević, won the award for contribution to entrepreneurship for Central and Southeast Europe – “Creators of the Century” for 2018. This recognition, for years now, highlights entrepreneurs, companies, and individuals who have contributed to the development of the community in which they create. In the category of small companies, Ivica Tatar, co-founder and Strategy Lead of our member company Logate, was elected manager of the year in 2017, while Tarik Zaimović, director of member company Bild Studio, was named manager of the year for the category of small companies in 2016. We are proud of the results of member companies so far and we believe that we will have many more recognitions as an association that acts synergistically on the entire economy in Montenegro. The strength is in our people who are dedicated to strengthening the IT industry, and we are happy when the community in which we operate recognizes this.