When roadworks hit, somebody has to work out how the traffic will cope. At the moment that job is done by hand, which takes time and leaves room for mistakes.

Amela Murić and Elda Kalač think there is a better way. The pair run BauSignal, a Montenegrin startup innovation that uses artificial intelligence to plan traffic during infrastructure works. Both come from technical and engineering backgrounds, with experience in software development, traffic analysis and urban mobility projects.

“We come from a technical and engineering background, with experience in software development, traffic analysis and work on urban mobility projects,” they said. “We focus on applying modern technologies, particularly AI, to real problems in infrastructure and planning.”

They built the first version of their platform at this year’s Adria Future Summit hackathon, where their team placed third. In 24 hours they put together a traffic simulation for Kotor and the surrounding main roads, working out where the jams would form.

“In just 24 hours, we developed a simulation of real traffic in Kotor and the surrounding main roads, where we clearly identified critical congestion points and demonstrated the value of our solution in a real scenario,” they said.

The platform is built to meet the RSA21 standard, which governs traffic management planning during construction. The pair want to replace the current manual process with something faster and legally compliant from the start.

“We’re addressing the lack of automated tools for assessing the impact of works on traffic, which today is mostly manual, slow and prone to error,” they said. “Our aim is fast, accurate and legally compliant planning, based on the RSA21 standard, while reducing costs and speeding up the approval process.”

The hackathon was held as part of the Adria Future Summit, under the theme of artificial intelligence and sustainability. It was organised by AI Nation and the Adria Future Foundation, in partnership with Reputeo and Sustineri Partners, with support from the World Bank. MTEL, the Summit’s platinum partner, provided the prize fund. The jury included Ravik Mima of Keiretsu Forum, Bojana Maraš of MTEL Digital Factory, Žan Dapčević of IBEX Fund and Davor Sakač of TS Ventures Fund.

Three months on, BauSignal has moved from prototype to product. The team has been accepted into the EIT Jumpstarter 2026 programme, where they plan to build functionality that automatically generates traffic management plans, including impact simulations and automated placement of road signage.

“The next step is further development through the EIT Jumpstarter 2026 programme, which we’ve been accepted into,” they said. “We’ll focus on functionality for automatically generating traffic management plans for construction works, including impact simulations and automated placement of traffic signage in line with regulations.”

Asked about the region’s potential for startups, they pointed to engineering talent and growing institutional backing.

“The region has good potential,” they said. “There’s a strong pool of talent, technical knowledge and increasing support for innovation. We think this is the right moment for serious global stories to come out of this ecosystem, including future unicorn startups.”

For them, events like the Summit matter mainly for the access they give to mentors and specialists outside their own field.

“Events like AFS offer what’s genuinely needed: a combination of intensive work, access to mentors, and connections with experts from different fields,” they said. “That mix of knowledge, experience and energy is where the real value lies for participants.”

They have kept in touch with mentors, industry figures and other founders from the Summit, and expect those contacts to help with product development and market validation.

“At the Summit we connected with mentors, industry representatives and other startup teams,” they said. “We plan to use those contacts for further product development, market validation and potential partnerships in developing and implementing the solution.”

Asked about next year’s hackathon, they expect AI to be judged less on novelty and more on how well it solves a specific problem.

“We expect the next hackathon to bring even more mature ideas, with clearer application of AI in specific industries,” they said. “The focus will shift from using AI itself to its practical value and integration into real systems. AI will become a standard tool, and the difference will come down to the quality of implementation and understanding of the problem being solved.”