Vid Klopčič

klopcic.vid@gmail.com | +386 40 866 744 | Ljubljana, Slovenia
fri.uni-lj.si/en/about-faculty/employees/vid-klopcic
Full-stack engineer and applied researcher with a First-Class Honours B.Sc. in Mathematics & Physics. Expertise spans ASR/TTS pipelines, transformer-based NLP, embedded firmware, and distributed web systems. Proven track record delivering award-winning, production-scale ML systems for judiciary, healthcare, and national research infrastructure. Passionate about bridging cutting-edge research with real-world impact through robust, scalable engineering.

Research Interests

Machine Learning Systems • Natural Language Processing • Computer Vision • Distributed Systems • Embedded AI • Human-Computer Interaction • Digital Humanities • Low-Resource Language Technologies • Real-time Systems • Cryptographic Security in Embedded Systems

Education

B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics and Physics, First-Class Honours
2020 – 2024
The Open University, UK
  • Relevant coursework: Computational Applied Mathematics, Graphs/Networks/Design, Mathematical Methods/Modeling, Computational Simulations

Professional Experience

Research Assistant / Technical Lead
2018 – Present
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science
  • Govori.si/Tipko - Slovenian ASR Platform: Led development of state-of-the-art speech recognition system processing 50K+ hours, deployed across judiciary, medical centers, and national press agency. Won GZS Innovation Award 2025.
    Tech: PyTorch/NeMo, Django, React, Redis, Kubernetes, BERT
  • SIstory 5.0 - Digital History Portal: Complete redesign serving 72K+ annual users with 55K+ publications. Implemented advanced search with Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL optimization, and Next.js frontend.
    Tech: Django 5.0, Next.js 14, PostgreSQL 16, Elasticsearch 8.9
  • Forensic Interview Training Tool: Architected training simulation system in Unreal Engine 5 with MetaHuman avatars and real-time voice cloning for child protection services; EU/Ministry of Justice funded.
    Tech: Unreal Engine 5, MetaHuman, PixelStreaming, Voice Cloning
Independent Software Consultant
2019 – Present
Vid Klopčič s.p., Slovenia
  • Dewesoft GridPhase: Principal engineer for full-stack development; designed system architecture with client, developed STM32 firmware with sub-μs GPS-synchronized ADC and ECDSA-secured bootloader, plus companion mobile app.
    Tech: STM32, GPS/PPS, Bluetooth, ECDSA/SHA3, Mobile UI/UX
  • AMZS Traffic Information App: Complete rewrite of mobile app and backend serving 200K+ active users with real-time traffic alerts and emergency SOS functionality.
    Tech: .NET, Flutter, PostgreSQL, Native Android/iOS
  • Avtolog.si: Built non-profit vehicle fraud detection portal processing millions of records; ~2,400 daily users. Later acquired by AMZS.
    Tech: Django, Elasticsearch

Technical Skills

Programming: Python, C/C++, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#, Dart, Go, Swift
Machine Learning & AI: PyTorch, NeMo, Transformers, BERT, ASR/TTS, Neural Network Optimization, Dataset Engineering
Web & Backend: Django/Channels, React, Next.js, .NET, Node.js, HTML/CSS, WebSockets, RESTful APIs
Mobile & Desktop: Flutter, Native iOS/Android, Qt, LVGL, Cross-platform Development
Data & Infrastructure: PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch/ELK, Redis, Distributed Systems
DevOps & Cloud: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, GitHub/GitLab Workflows, Nginx, Apache
Embedded & Systems: STM32, ARM Cortex-M, HAL, RTOS, Hardware Debugging, Cryptography (ECDSA/SHA3)
Game Engines & Graphics: Unreal Engine 5, MetaHuman, PixelStreaming, Computer Graphics, Real-time Rendering

Awards & Recognition

Languages & Personal Interests

Languages: Slovenian (Native), English (Fluent)
Interests: Rock climbing, Bouldering, Wingfoiling, Cycling, Swing/Lindy Hop, Mountaineering

Selected Publications

K. Žnideršič, V. Klopčič, M. Pesek, M. Marolt (2024). "The govori.si speech transcription platform." Language Technologies and Digital Humanities Conference, Ljubljana, pp. 512-525. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13936430
K. Meden, A. Cvek, V. Klopčič, M. Pesek, M. Ojsteršek, M. Šorn, A. Pančur (2024). "Unlocking history: a redesign of the Sistory 5.0 portal." Language Technologies and Digital Humanities Conference, Ljubljana, pp. 319-337. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13936412
V. Klopčič, K. Žnideršič, M. Marolt, K. Kern Pipan, M. Furlan, M. Čarni Pretnar, A. Del Fabro, M. Pesek (2025). "Pilot tool to support training in forensic interviews with children." 32nd Conference on Slovenian Informatics (DSI 2025), Portorož, pp. 1-2. COBISS.SI-ID: 234256899