FAKULTETA ZA INFORMACIJSKE STUDIJE V NOVEM MESTU

Their core work

The Faculty of Information Studies (FIS) in Novo Mesto is a Slovenian higher education institution specializing in complex systems research and computational science. Their core research involves mathematical modeling of nonlinear dynamics, oscillatory networks, and synchronization phenomena — work that requires significant computing power. They serve as Slovenia's access point to European high-performance computing infrastructure through the PRACE and EuroHPC networks, bridging academic research with HPC resources for both scientific and industrial users.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FIS began its H2020 activity with fundamental research in complex systems — studying oscillations, synchronization, and nonlinear dynamics through the COSMOS project (2015-2019). In parallel and increasingly afterward, their involvement shifted toward HPC infrastructure and competence-building through the PRACE and EUROCC projects. By 2020, their focus had moved from pure mathematical modeling to enabling others — particularly industry — to access and use high-performance computing resources.

FIS is transitioning from fundamental computational research toward an HPC service and training role, positioning itself as Slovenia's bridge between European supercomputing infrastructure and local industry needs.

How they like to work

FIS operates almost exclusively as a supporting player — zero projects as coordinator, one as a direct participant, and three as a third party linked to larger national nodes. Their 141 partners across 35 countries are misleading; this breadth comes from membership in massive pan-European HPC consortia (PRACE, EuroCC) rather than from individually cultivated relationships. Working with FIS means engaging a small, specialized team that contributes domain expertise within large infrastructure frameworks.

Their apparent network of 141 partners across 35 countries is largely inherited from pan-European HPC infrastructure projects (PRACE, EuroCC), which include nearly every EU member state. Direct bilateral collaboration experience is limited.

What sets them apart

FIS combines two things rarely found together in a small institution: deep expertise in complex systems mathematics and direct connections to Europe's HPC infrastructure. For partners in Southeast Europe or those needing computational resources for complex modeling tasks, FIS offers a compact, accessible entry point. Their small size means low overhead and direct access to researchers, though it also means limited capacity for large-scale project coordination.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COSMOS
  Their only direct research project and sole source of EC funding (EUR 234,998), representing FIS's core scientific identity in complex oscillatory systems.
• EUROCC
  Marks FIS's strategic pivot toward industry-facing HPC services as part of the EuroHPC national competence centre network.