Day 1 – Discover
Podgorica, Montenegro, 13 May 2026
The first day of the NO-DEPENDENCE educational programme, Discover → Experience → Reflect, was successfully held on 13 May 2026 at the University Sports and Cultural Centre of the University of Montenegro within the framework of the SPS MYP G6037 project – “Development of Hydrogen Compressors (NO-DEPENDENCE)”, supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme.
The programme brought together students, young researchers, and representatives of public institutions to encourage dialogue and understanding of hydrogen technologies and their role in future energy systems.
The opening session included welcoming addresses by:
- Prof. Irena Nikolić, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, University of Montenegro;
- Prof. Vanja Asanović, Faculty of Technology, University of Montenegro;
- Dr Jasmina Grbović Novaković, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade.
During the lectures and discussions, participants explored:
- hydrogen production and storage technologies;
- advanced materials for hydrogen applications;
- modification of materials using ion bombardment;
- process kinetics and solid-state reactions;
- biomass as a potential source for hydrogen production;
- the role of artificial intelligence in materials research for energy storage.
Lectures were delivered by members and collaborators of the NO-DEPENDENCE research team:
- Dr Sanja Milošević Govedarović
- Dr Sandra Kurko
- Dr. Slobodan Cvetković
- Dr Branislav Stanković
- Dr Katarina Batalović.
An important part of the programme was the interactive discussion session “From Laboratory to Energy Systems: The NO-DEPENDENCE Approach”, where participants discussed how research activities within the project contribute to the development of hydrogen technologies by connecting materials research, experimental work and system-level applications.
The first day of the programme concluded with an introductory session dedicated to the laboratory activities planned for the following day.
The NO-DEPENDENCE educational programme continued with the Experience session focused on thermal analysis, optical microscopy and practical laboratory work related to advanced materials and hydrogen technologies.