The kick-off meeting of the EuroCC 3 project and the supporting project CASTIEL 3 was held on April 16, 2026, officially launching the third phase of the European initiative for the development of national high-performance computing (HPC) competence centres. The Republic of Croatia participates in the EuroCC 3 project through the Croatian Competence Centre for HPC, coordinated by the University Computing Centre of the University of Zagreb (SRCE).
In addition to SRCE as the leader of the national consortium and project partner, the following institutions participate as associated partners: Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology Osijek, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek (FERIT), Faculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka (RITEH), Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB), and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split (FESB). Support to Croatian institutions is provided by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth (MZOM).
About the EuroCC 3 Project
The EuroCC 3 project started on April 1, 2026, and represents the continuation of the successful EuroCC and EuroCC 2 initiatives, which have been developing a European network of national HPC competence centres since 2020. The project is planned to last 36 months.
The strategic priorities of the Croatian Competence Centre for HPC in the new development phase for the period 2026–2029 are focused on further strengthening cooperation with industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in the early stages of digital transformation, and on stronger application of high-performance computing technologies in their operations. Plans also include expanding and improving the existing portfolio of services, developing specialized educational programs in cooperation with the EuroHPC Virtual Academy (EVITA), and implementing tailored workshops and professional development programs.
Special focus will be placed on strengthening cooperation with European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) in Croatia and on a stronger intermediary role between Croatian companies and the network of AI Factories, which forms the backbone of the future European artificial intelligence infrastructure.
About the Croatian Competence Centre for HPC
The Croatian Competence Centre for HPC was established in 2020 within the EuroCC project and acts as the central contact point for all those who wish to use advanced computing in research, education, industry, and the public sector.
The Centre’s services include:
- education and workshops on the use of HPC, high-performance data analytics (HPDA), and artificial intelligence technologies
- consulting in the selection and access to computing resources in Croatia and the European Union
- support in project preparation and application
- technology transfer and support through Test before Invest and Proof of Concept models
- connecting users with experts and research teams
During the second phase of the EuroCC project, the Croatian Competence Centre for HPC organized more than 100 workshops and events with over 1,000 participants. Services were provided to 84 small and medium-sized enterprises and 15 public administration institutions. Support was also provided to companies in applications for the Fortissimo Plus (FFplus) call for innovations in generative artificial intelligence and HPC, as well as access to national and EuroHPC resources.
Cooperation was established with other EuroCC centres, including collaboration with the French centre in organizing the Gray–Scott summer school and joint participation with the Slovenian centre and other Central European countries at MIPRO, ASHPC, and Knowledge Network conferences. Three Croatian Competence Centre for HPC Days were organized, attended by more than 200 national and European HPC experts.
