Amazon, TikTok, and Cloudflare Are Coming to Montenegro – Podgorica to Become Innovation Hub in October
October 15, 2025
How to coexist with artificial intelligence? AI in focus at the third edition of the IT SPOT conference
November 19, 2025
Vujović: A digitalized Montenegro, a country that will use new technologies for the benefit of its citizens
The third edition of Montenegro’s leading technology conference – IT SPOT 2025 – was officially opened today in Podgorica. The NGO ICT Cortex is hosting this event, which has become an essential meeting point for the country’s and the region’s tech and business communities. Following last year’s successful edition, the program taking place today and tomorrow, October 31st, at the Montenegro Music Center brings a blend of inspiring lectures, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities that promise participants a memorable experience.
IT SPOT 2025 was opened by the President of the ICT Cortex Cluster Board, Branimir Bukilić, who emphasized the importance of this prestigious conference.
“This is a place where we can exchange experiences, where we talk about technology and shaping the digital landscape of Montenegro and the region. I believe that IT SPOT should be a place where new communities and new ideas are born. My heart is full seeing how much interest there is in these topics in our small country, because the IT sector is one of Montenegro’s leading economic sectors. We are working diligently to continuously improve. We want to create better conditions for IT companies so they can achieve goals that will enable digital and AI transformation for all of us,” Bukilić stated.
This year’s edition of the IT SPOT conference is being held with the support of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Central Bank of Montenegro, and the Innovation Fund.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro (PKCG), Nina Drakić, expressed her satisfaction that the Chamber is once again participating as a partner in the organization of IT SPOT. She particularly emphasized the importance of discussions on artificial intelligence.
“The conference’s focus on artificial intelligence comes at a moment when the world is rapidly transforming the way it conducts business, communicates, and makes decisions. AI is no longer a topic of the future—it is the reality of the present. Today, it impacts nearly all sectors of the economy, from energy and tourism to finance and education. The Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro recognizes that within this change lies an opportunity for our economy. Through projects such as eKomora and MontEDIH, we are creating an environment in which digital solutions become accessible and applicable, and the cooperation between the IT sector and other industries gains new quality. Montenegro has the knowledge, energy, and potential to seize this moment,” Drakić stated.
She noted that the Chamber of Commerce will continue to serve as a bridge between knowledge and business, between vision and implementation.
“We believe that success in the digital age does not depend on the size of an economy, but on its readiness to collaborate, to remain open, and to act together. And precisely for that reason, the message we send from this gathering reminds us of what connects us all: the strength lies within all of us,” stated the President of the Chamber of Commerce.
The numerous guests of the IT SPOT conference were also welcomed by the Minister of Culture and Media, Dr. Tamara Vujović.
“IT SPOT 2025 symbolizes a fundamental step forward in how we perceive and shape our society and economy. By focusing on topics such as artificial intelligence, fintech solutions, and cybersecurity, this conference provides an opportunity to connect with global trends and innovations. I invite all participants to continue building a digitalized Montenegro—a country that will use new technologies for the benefit of its citizens, thereby strengthening the economy and nurturing its cultural heritage,” Vujović emphasized.
She highlighted the significant impact that digital transformation has on Montenegro’s economy.
“According to current data, Montenegro’s digital sector is growing at an annual rate of eight percent and contributes around five percent to the GDP. Thanks to the rapid development of 5G infrastructure, the digitalization of public services, and support for innovative entrepreneurial ideas, more than 1,200 new jobs are created each year, positioning Montenegro as an important regional player in the field of digital technology,” the Minister emphasized.
Following the opening remarks, an engaging presentation on the impact of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity was delivered by Vlada Sebastiao, a solutions engineer at Cloudflare.
“Since 2022, we have witnessed a significant influence of AI and tools such as ChatGPT, which allow everyday users to utilize artificial intelligence. AI has been democratized and has become an important part of our daily lives. Now, we are concerned about the automation of certain processes and the delegation of authority to AI systems to independently carry out actions. We are using extremely powerful tools that require equally intelligent security systems,” Sebastiao emphasized, presenting the cybersecurity tools offered by Cloudflare.
As part of the panel on Responsible AI and Regulation, Dr. Irina Mirkina, Chief AI Scientist at Fugro and former Head of AI at UNICEF, emphasized that over the past year there has been an increasing number of examples of AI integration into all business processes and various aspects of life.
“These examples are sometimes brilliant and well-received, but they also come with security risks, exposure, data leaks, misinformation, and bias—things that ideally we would like to avoid. The more we see AI being adopted, the greater these challenges become. What is changing is that both the public and businesses are shifting the way they think about AI. We now have much greater awareness of what AI truly means. It is necessary to show businesses that AI genuinely contributes to operations, clients, and customers,” Mirkina explained.
Dr. Balázs Hohmann, an associate professor at the University of Pécs, noted that new legal regulations are needed for AI development.
“If artificial intelligence comes into contact with EU citizens, websites, and data markets, AI must be regulated by law. The AI Act is the primary regulation. For developers, it is a challenging task to comply with all the obligations. I believe that if you want to meet these requirements, you need to follow both European and national AI legislation, which is very difficult. In the AI sector, we want to think about the future, but it is extremely challenging with such outdated regulations,” Hohmann stated.
Aleksandar Anđić, Head of the Directorate for Project Management and Standardization at the Ministry of Public Administration, emphasized that Montenegro’s AI regulations must align with the AI Act, public expectations, and trust in the process.
“The government must carefully implement these AI tools in the private sector for the benefit of all citizens and industries in our country. The government needs to respond systematically and strategically to build Montenegro’s first national AI strategy. We have formed a working group of individuals from various sectors—state institutions, the private sector, and academia. We have made efforts to find people who can contribute to this process so that we have a solid foundation for the first national strategy,” Anđić explained.
Aleksandar Plamenac, teaching associate and PhD candidate at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Montenegro, emphasized that it is high time to establish legal regulations for AI, as artificial intelligence has become an integral part of people’s daily lives.
“Responsible AI is a shared topic for universities, the academic community, government, and industry. I believe that only together can we drive innovation in the right direction. Universities used to be closed communities, but I see that they are opening up and that many people are willing to take action. Universities can provide guidance on how to approach AI; this is an area where I see the academic community collaborating with industry,” Plamenac stated.
