Serbia Teams Up with UAE’s ATRC to Encourage Adoption of Falcon AI Models

Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, alongside the Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of Serbia. This strategic alliance, formed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2024, is set to harness ATRC's profound technical knowledge for the enhancement of Serbia's technological framework through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The MoU outlines a plan for Serbia to adopt ATRC’s Falcon large language models (LLM) and to seek collaborative opportunities with ATRC on Falcon-powered solutions. Additionally, it encourages Serbian organizations to participate in the Falcon Foundation, aiding in the proliferation of open-source Falcon models. The agreement was formalized by Shahab Issa Abu Shahab, Director-General of ATRC; Mihailo Jovanovic, Minister of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia; and Dubravko Culibrk, Director of the Institute for AI Research and Development of Serbia.

Shahab Issa Abu Shahab emphasized AI's role as a pivotal force for innovation and progress. He highlighted this collaboration as a significant step in the global movement towards embracing Falcon, underlining a mutual commitment to fostering an open and dynamic approach to advancing AI capabilities worldwide.

Mihailo Jovanović expressed enthusiasm about leveraging ATRC's expertise to implement Falcon open-source models within Serbia. This initiative is expected to bolster Serbia's ongoing modernization efforts under the Serbia 2027 Programme and reinforce its status as a technological and digital frontrunner in Southeast Europe.

Dubravko Culibrk shared his excitement about this transformative partnership with ATRC. He stressed the importance of integrating Falcon open-source models to spur breakthroughs in AI research and development. Culibrk also noted the critical role of international government partnerships in fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives, positioning AI as a catalyst for positive global change.

This partnership signifies a major leap in exporting Falcon’s capabilities on a national scale beyond the Middle East. It lays a solid foundation for future global collaborations aimed at shaping the trajectory of technological innovation.

With inputs from WAM