On 14 May 2026, the kick-off meeting of the SAIFA – Serbian Artificial Intelligence Factory Antenna project was held at the Palace of Science in Belgrade, marking the official start of Serbia’s participation in the emerging European AI Factory ecosystem under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking initiative.
SAIFA is led by the University of Belgrade School of Electrical Engineering and unites a national consortium of research and innovation organizations aimed at enhancing Serbia’s capabilities in artificial intelligence and AI-driven innovation. The project functions as the Serbian AI Factory Antenna, connecting national stakeholders with European AI Factory infrastructures, including direct partnerships with the Pharos and IT4LIA AI Factories.
The meeting brought together consortium members, institutional stakeholders, and national representatives to review the project's strategic positioning, management and governance frameworks, technical work packages, communication plans, and the roadmap for the initial project year.
Partners and Strategic Role of the Antenna
The SAIFA consortium comprises top Serbian institutions across AI, language and culture, engineering, energy, health, and environmental sciences. Through the antenna model promoted by EuroHPC JU, SAIFA will function as a national gateway to European AI and HPC ecosystems, enabling collaboration, technology transfer, training, and support for academia, public entities, and industry.
The project particularly focuses on integrating AI technologies with cutting-edge computing infrastructures and data-driven services. This approach aims to help Serbian researchers and innovators connect with larger European initiatives, including AI Factories, Centers of Excellence, European Digital Innovation Hubs, EOSC, and European data spaces.
HPC Serbia and SAIFA: Complementary Activities
With the launch of SAIFA, national efforts concerning High-Performance Computing (HPC) and High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA) will still be coordinated and promoted via HPC Serbia. Meanwhile, activities centered on Artificial Intelligence, including AI applications, AI services, and the development of the AI ecosystem, will be managed through the SAIFA initiative.
This complementary approach will foster strong alignment between Serbia’s established HPC ecosystem and the quickly evolving European AI infrastructure landscape, supporting coordinated efforts in scientific research, innovation, industry adoption, and digital transformation.
Overview of the Kick-off Meeting
The agenda included a wide array of strategic and operational topics crucial for the project's successful launch. After opening remarks and institutional addresses, the consortium examined the project goals, impact, governance approaches, and communication strategies.
Dedicated sessions focused on:
- management structures and project governance,
- collaboration with Pharos and IT4LIA AI Factories,
- communication and dissemination strategies,
- development of the HPC & AI runtime environment and AI gateway,
- sector-specific AI applications,
- user support and training activities,
- planning of the first-year deliverables and milestones.
Special attention was given to developing the future AI gateway, ensuring interoperability with European infrastructures, onboarding domain-specific AI applications, and establishing support and training mechanisms for users and stakeholders.
The meeting concluded with an open discussion session and agreement on the immediate actions and coordination activities for the upcoming project period.
The SAIFA project is funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking under Grant Agreement No. 101263280.
