Barcelona, 5 March 2025 – Talent Arena, the event dedicated to digital talent organised by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital), has concluded its first edition, reinforcing the central role of digital professionals within the MWC programme. With this initiative, MWCapital enhances Barcelona’s offering during the week when the city consolidates its status as a global tech capital.

From March 3rd and 5th, Talent Arena brought together over 20,000 developers from 115 countries at Fira Montjuïc, with 53% being senior professionals from more than 1,500 companies, establishing itself as a key meeting point for the industry. Over three days, attendees had the opportunity to connect with tech companies, take part in hackathons and innovative workshops, and gain inspiration from 223 sessions led by renowned figures shaping the future of technology.

Throughout the three-day programme, Talent Arena explored the latest trends in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and NewSpace, as well as current topics like Europe’s technological sovereignty, the evolution of generative AI, and the challenges of attracting and retaining digital talent in an increasingly competitive environment.

According to Francesc Fajula, CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, “The first edition of Talent Arena highlights the essential role of digital professionals in developing the technologies that are transforming the world. It also brings attention to the challenge of talent generation to meet the growth of the ICT sector, which is synonymous with innovation, expansion, and competitiveness

A top-tier programme

One of the key highlights of this first edition of Talent Arena edition was its line-up of speakers. Tech industry legends such as Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple; Cassie Kozyrkov, former pioneer in AI development at Google; and Garry Kasparov, grandmaster and AI thought leader. Other international figures included Sarah Novotny, expert in collaborative communities, and Lauren Lyons, specialist in NewSpace. The content programme featured 40% women who are leading figures in the sector, highlighting female presence in leadership roles within the tech industry.

Alongside these global icons, Talent Arena has brought together leading Spanish professionals heading tech projects in companies and institutions worldwide, such as Xavier Amatriain, Vice President of Product at Google; Pilar Manchón, Director of Engineering at Google; and Antonio Torralba, Head of the AI Faculty at MIT.

One of the must-attend events for Talent Arena participants was the GSMA Open Gateway Hackathon. A historic milestone for telecom operators that featured over 100 international developers tackling an innovative technological challenge. For the first time, they were able to test projects in real—not simulated—conditions using data from major telecom providers. Meanwhile, the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon brought together companies and developers from around the world dedicated to creating and deploying network API-based services, showcasing use cases and sharing best practices from leading companies such as Nokia, TikTok, China Telecom, and Elmo.

Talent Arena’s offering was further enriched with 45 workshops focused on the latest technology trends, drawing an impressive reception, and more than 50 mentors who were on hand to guide developers through emerging industry trends and new career opportunities.

With this first edition now concluded, MWCapital is already preparing for the 2026 edition of Talent Arena, which will take place from 2 to 4 March at Fira Montjuïc. The event will expand its scope once again to strengthen its position as Europe’s premier digital talent gathering and further establish Barcelona as a hub for digital professionals. Also, with the expansion of Fira Gran Via, the event will fully integrate into the MWC venue.

About Talent Arena

Talent Arena is Europe’s premier event dedicated to digital talent, organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona and co-located with MWC Barcelona 2025. For the first time, digital professionals, world-leading technology companies and educational institutions will come together to create a hub for learning, networking and professional growth. In collaboration with the GSMA, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council and with the support of Caixa Bank as main partner, Schneider Electric and Seidor as Event Sponsor, Salesforce as a supporting sponsor and Eurofirms as a HR sponsor, Talent Arena plays a key role in fostering the next generation of technological talent in Europe. 

About Mobile World Capital Barcelona

Mobile World Capital Barcelona is a public-private foundation that promotes the digital development of society to build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future through the humanistic use of technology. MWCapital contributes to positioning Barcelona as a global benchmark in the digital field and to consolidating MWC’s legacy throughout the year, promoting initiatives in the field of technology transfer, the promotion of digital talent, and the development of innovative technological projects with social impact. MWCapital hosts MWC in Barcelona, is the founder of 4YFN and connects the international community of developers with the Talent Arena Project.

For further information:

Mobile World Capital
Víctor Solvas, Cerezo · vsolvas@mobileworldcapital.com · +34 663 201 406
Emily Henley · ehenley@mobileworldcapital.com · +34 673 004 102

Roman
Elisa Álvarez · e.alvarez@romanrm.com · +34 602 254 091

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During his speech, Wozniak referred to the debate on the use and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), reiterating his long-standing support for such intervention. “To better judge what we consume, we must know whether the information comes from technology, how the AI has been trained, and what sources it has used”.

Still discussing the evolution of AI, he stated that “today, it is a great technology for reporting on things that have already been said, and perhaps one day, it will be able to think for itself.”

The Apple co-founder also argued that technology should move towards “more open-source code, as this would allow us to go back, review the technology created, and perhaps improve it”.

Talent Arena, Europe’s leading event dedicated to digital talent, brings together experts, companies, and emerging talent to discuss trends and the future of the sector. The session with Wozniak reinforced the event’s role as a key space for analysis and reflection on technological advancements.

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Barcelona, March 4, 2025 – Talent Arena hosted the GSMA Open Gateway Hackathon, marking a significant milestone in the telecommunications industry. This challenge was the first to be tested under real-world conditions, using SIM cards from Spain’s leading telecom operators—Telefónica, Orange, and Vodafone-. By moving beyond controlled simulations, the hackathon provided developers with unprecedented access to standardised network capabilities, reshaping the landscape of telecom services.

Over an intensive 48-hour period, developers from around the world leveraged Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal, the only API aggregator platform used for this occasion. By offering the broadest range of network exposure options, paired with robust multi-tier API security, the Network as Code platform provided developers with a single API access point to telecommunications services and functionalities across multiple operator networks, including Telefonica Spain, MasOrange Spain, and Vodafone Spain. Developers had access to eight standardized network APIs to create solutions posed to revolutionise sectors such as healthcare, logistics, and entertainment. These APIs encompassed: enabled authentication and fraud prevention (SIM swap detection, number verification), location services (geofencing, real-time location retrieval), communication quality (Quality on Demand, connectivity insights), device information (reachability and roaming status), and payments and charging (carrier billing and refunds). Unlike traditional hackathons, these solutions were tested under live network conditions, offering an authentic glimpse into the future of telecom innovation.

The event culminated with teams presenting their projects to an expert panel for evaluation. The winning project, Ontime, showcased the versatility and potential of Open Gateway by allowing train passengers in Catalonia to access real-time information on delays and occupancy of trains. This real-world testing marked a turning point in the adoption of these innovative technologies, proving their ability to enhance the telecommunications services on a global scale.

GSMA Open Gateway DevCon 2025: Insights and Innovation

Running alongside the hackathon, the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon 2025 offered developers invaluable insights into the creation, deployment, and monetization of network API-based services. Industry leaders shared best practices, showcased real-world use cases, and explored strategies for building the next generation of network-enabled applications, providing a comprehensive view of telecom innovation’s future.

The sessions delved into key industry topics, focusing on the pivotal role of network operators in enabling new services through APIs. Experts discussed strategies to empower developers and harness the full potential of 5G, with Nokia’s keynote emphasizing the important role of developers and enterprises. Also, a session led by TikTok explored how the telecoms and media industries can collaborate more effectively on consent, identity, and verification, addressing critical challenges in the digital ecosystem. In addition, GSMA Intelligence revealed key findings from its latest developer survey, highlighting the evolving needs and expectations within the Open Gateway community.

A panel addressing early adoption challenges brought together leaders from Nokia, Elmo, Bridge Alliance, and Radisys, who shared their hands-on experiences integrating network APIs into their businesses.

The event also featured live demonstrations, such as AI-powered KYC solutions, CAMARA’s role in API development, and innovative applications like network verification for Cabify onboarding. With a closing discussion on the future of network-enabled applications, the DevCon reinforced its position as a driving force behind the evolution of telecom innovation.

Talent Arena: the platform that drives digital talent

Talent Arena’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the digital ecosystem is evident through initiatives like the GSMA Open Gateway Hackathon and DevCon. By bringing together global talent and industry pioneers, Talent Arena seeks to become the platform that drives digital talent and promotes professional growth, building the future of the European digital hub from Barcelona.

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Barcelona, 3 March 2025 – Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) Around 180 international developers landed in Barcelona this morning aboard the Digital Talent Flight, an initiative organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) and Vueling, marking the conclusion of the “We Speak Your Language” hackathon. The flight, departing from Paris, was the culmination of a challenge in which participants competed to create technological solutions for simultaneous translation to improve communication between passengers and crew on board without requiring an Internet connection.

Upon landing in Barcelona, the developers and finalists arrived at the Talent Arena, Europe’s leading digital talent event, where the awards were officially announced throughout the day. Participants also had the opportunity to attend workshops, conferences, and presentations by international technology experts during the second day of the event.

Upon arrival at the event, GSMSA’s CEO, John Hoffman, and MWCapital’s CEO, Francesc Fajula, welcomed the 180 developers participating in the initiative and had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the finalist proposals of the hackathon.

A journey full of innovation

The “We Speak Your Language” hackathon, launched in Paris, challenged EPITECH university students to create a real-time voice translation system capable of facilitating communication between crew and passengers in their native languages, without requiring an Internet connection. The solutions needed to be viable in an in-flight context, considering the limitations and specific conditions of the aviation environment.

During the flight to Barcelona, the five finalist teams had the opportunity to present their solutions to a panel of industry technology experts and sector developers. Each team defended their proposal, evaluated based on criteria such as technical feasibility, applicability in an in-flight environment, and user experience.

The five proposals presented on board during the Paris-Barcelona journey stood out for their innovative approaches to overcoming language barriers. The first finalist developed an offline solution compatible with laptops and smartphones, enabling real-time translations during crew demonstrations. The second introduced three different methods for establishing server communication, enhancing system flexibility. The third team incorporated a “Quick Announcements” function within their QR-accessible app, designed for specific situations and routes. The fourth finalist impressed with a demonstration of transmission in five languages simultaneously. Finally, the fifth team developed an application with an optimised interface and a robust role-separation mode to improve user experience.

The winning proposal was La Joconde, a holistic offline solution integrating lightweight language models for both synthesis and translation. This instant translation system stood out for its approach, which combines a solid backend, a well-designed interface, and an innovative perspective on customer experience, making it the winner of this challenge. This project not only enables efficient communication in multiple languages but also enhances the user experience, adapted to the space and connectivity constraints on board.

The winning team will have the opportunity to work directly with Vueling to explore the implementation of their solution on the airline’s aircraft.

Boosting digital talent in Barcelona

With the Digital Talent Flight, MWCapital and Vueling reinforce Barcelona’s positioning as a leading technological hub, driving innovation and attracting international digital talent.

The Digital Talent Flight is a clear example of MWCapital and Vueling’s commitment to positioning Barcelona as a reference technological hub, fostering innovation, and attracting international digital talent. This challenge was not only a platform for finding innovative technological solutions but also an opportunity to connect digital talent with industry experts and generate new ideas that could transform the passenger experience in the future.

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Barcelona, 3 March 2025 – Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) Talent Arena, the event organised by Mobile World Capital (MWCapital) dedicated to digital talent, concluded its first day with a keynote speech by Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and global authority on artificial intelligence (AI). His conference, which explored the impact of AI on strategic decision-making, was one of the most anticipated and significant moments of the day.

During his session, “The nexus of human creativity and machine intelligence”, Kasparov addressed an audience of over 2,000 attendees, urging them to “not be afraid of machines” and asserting that “if we misuse them, we cannot blame technology.”

The chess grandmaster reflected on his career and described his defeat against Deep Blue as “a blessing,” as it has served as an inspiration for a wide range of technological projects, including the current development of AI.

In fact, in his conference, Kasparov referred to AI as “augmented intelligence,” explaining that “just as glasses improve our vision, AI enhances our abilities”.

With this intervention, Talent Arena reaffirms its role as a benchmark in the digital sphere, further establishing Barcelona as a global hub for technological innovation. The event brought together key industry players, including developers, companies, and institutions, fostering collaboration and the development of new strategies for the future of digital talent.

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• High-profile speakers such as Steve Wozniak, Garry Kasparov, Sarah Novotny, and Cassie Kozyrkov will share their insights on topics such as generative artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and strengthening human relationships in the digital age.
• In addition to conferences, Talent Arena offers 45 programming workshops, mentoring sessions with industry professionals, and key events for developers, such as the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon.
• The event, organised by Mobile World Capital Foundation, focuses on one of the world’s major challenges: ensuring the availability of digital talent to meet the growing demand in the technology sector.

Barcelona, 3 March 2025 – Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) has opened the doors to the first edition of Talent Arena, Europe’s largest event dedicated to digital talent, taking place at Fira Montjuïc until 5 March. For the first time during MWC, the event brings together technology professionals to connect and discuss about key topics that are shaping the present and future of the industry, including the evolution of artificial intelligence, software development, cybersecurity, and quantum computing.

Throughout its duration, Talent Arena will foster an environment for knowledge, networking, and professional growth. The event addresses one of today’s major social and economic challenges: the need to promote digital talent to meet the growing demand in the ICT sector. In Europe, there are around 10 million ICT professionals and tech hubs such as Barcelona, have doubled since 2018, reaching 122,000 workers today.

According to MWCapital’s CEO, Francesc Fajula, “Talent Arena complements Barcelona’s tech ecosystem during MWC by bringing together ICT professionals and plays a key role in fostering the next generation of Europe’s technological talent.”

International leaders and technological challenges

One of the main highlights of the first edition of Talent Arena is its conference programme, featuring 200 speakers, including some of the world’s most influential voices in technology. During the opening day, Talent Arena will welcome renowned figures such as chess grandmaster and AI expert Garry Kasparov, Google’s Senior Director of Engineering Pilar Manchón, MIT AI Faculty Director Antonio Torralba, and tech communicator and entrepreneur Nate Gentile.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, speakers will include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, former Chief Decision Scientist at Google Cassie Kozyrkov, Google’s Vice President of Product Xavier Amatriain, and former SpaceX Development Engineer Lauren Lyons, among others.

The talks will explore key themes such as Europe’s technological sovereignty, the evolution of generative AI over the past decade, and the challenges of managing digital talent in a highly competitive environment. There will also be discussions on the impact of quantum computing on technological development, the role of inclusive leadership in organisational transformation, and the intersection of AI and programming.

Alongside the conferences, Talent Arena’s activity programme kicks off today, featuring 45 programming workshops, mentoring sessions with industry professionals, and key developer events such as the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon. This event will bring together leading companies to showcase best practices and live demonstrations on programming network-based API services.

With its first edition, Talent Arena positions itself as an essential event for professionals, businesses, and organisations looking to anticipate the challenges of the digital future and lead innovation in their respective sectors.

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Barcelona, November 13, 2024.- Mobile World Capital Barcelona has announced the launch of the first edition of Talent Arena, set to take place from 3-5 March at Fira Montjuïc Barcelona, Hall 8. Co-located with MWC Barcelona 2025, Talent Arena will bring together developers, leading tech companies, and educational institutions, creating a dynamic environment for learning, networking, and professional growth in digital technology.

Spanning three action-packed days, attendees will immerse themselves in workshops, live technology demos, and multiple hackathons. Also, offering over 200 expert speakers sharing their insights on the digital talent ecosystem, emerging technologies, and industry trends.

The presentation of the first edition of Talent Arena 2025 will be presided over by the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Valls, the Secretary for Digital Policy of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Maria Galindo Garcia-Delgado, the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in the Government of Spain, María González Veracruz, the CEO and director of GSMA Ltd., John Hoffman and the CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Francesc Fajula.

Talent Arena is an initiative of Mobile World Capital Barcelona with the collaboration of GSMA, Barcelona City Council, the Generalitat de Catalunya and, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Civil Service. Also, the event is supported by the private sector, with companies such as Grupo CaixaBank (Main Partner), which will showcase technological innovation projects and address issues like digital inclusion; Schneider Electric (Event Sponsor); and Eurofirms Group (HR Sponsor), all demonstrating their commitment to digital talent and continuous learning.

Barcelona, a Hub for Digital Talent

The event seeks to reaffirm Barcelona as a global benchmark in the digital sector, acting as an international hub for the entire digital ecosystem. Talent Arena will run alongside MWC Barcelona- the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event- and 4YFN, which focuses on empowering the start-up ecosystem. We will have the entire digital ecosystem in the same city on the same dates.

With this, MWCapital aims to consolidate Barcelona as a top-tier destination for generating and attracting digital talent, relying on a strong base of over 122.185 professionals in ICT sectors and more than 140 tech hubs. The event offers valuable networking opportunities with industry leaders, fostering collaboration and mentorship among attendees.

Continuous learning and innovation are prioritized, equipping participants with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in an ever-evolving technological landscape. ​

Talent Arena 2025: Activities and Themes of the Present and Future

Talent Arena will address key topics such as artificial intelligence, software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and future technologies like Quantum computing, Microchips or NewSpace. Additionally, themes related to sustainability and the management of digital talent in an increasingly demanding environment will also be discussed.

Among the 200 speakers who are experts in ICT and leaders of technology companies are speakers such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; former world chess champion and AI promoter, Garry Kasparov; Google’s vice-president of Product, Xavier Amatriain; Open-Source expert and former Microsoft Azure Office executive,Sarah Novotny; the head of AI at Meta, Cristian Canton, and Former Senior Developer Enigneer at Space X, Blue Origin & Starlink, Lauren Lyon, among others. In addition to technology disseminators such as Nate Gentile and Dot CSV will also participate. Furthermore, companies will showcase success stories and technological advancements, providing developers with valuable insights, while attendees will have the opportunity to learn about educational offerings in their sector and tools for excelling in recruitment processes.

Key highlights of the event include the GSMA Open Gateway hackathon, a global initiative designed to foster innovation in programmable networks using APIs, enabling participants to develop collaborative technological solutions. For the first time, the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon will move to Talent Arena. This developer-focused summit, led by the GSMA, will showcase the potential of network APIs and their ability to revolutionise digital experience development.

Moreover, Talent Arena’s activities will extend beyond the conference walls through an agreement between MWCapital and Iryo, which will launch a high-speed train connecting Madrid and Barcelona, bringing together talent from both cities.

A Decisive Step Following the Success of the Pilot Edition

Building on the success of the pilot edition at MWC Barcelona 2024, which attracted tech professionals from leading companies, Talent Arena is set to reach new heights in 2025 with an expanded and ambitious first edition. Last year’s proposal, covering a 1,500 sqm space, showcased the enormous potential of this initiative. Now, Talent Arena will grow to 20,000 sqm, with three days exclusively dedicated to digital talent.

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Barcelona, February 28, 2024 – Mobile World Capital Barcelona has successfully concluded the hackathon of the pilot edition of Talent Arena, the new space dedicated to digital talent at MWC Barcelona 2024. For two days, 48 tech professionals have developed innovative projects to design the future of telecommunications. The hackathon has been the main activity of the Talent Arena, aimed to connect digital professionals from different backgrounds with leading companies in Barcelona and exploring the latest trends and job opportunities in the digital sector.

The three winning use cases of the 48-hour hackathon were, in first place, a collaborative system to report incidents to the public administration and verify their location; in second place, a streaming platform to optimize the experience of users watching live video; and in third place, a platform to improve healthcare when you are in a foreign country without knowledge of the local language. All the participants have defended their projects in the boxing ring. Throughout the experience, participants have had the opportunity to create practical use cases to explore the potential of different Open Gateway APIs provided such as: Number verification, SIM swapping and WiFi QOD. The professionals, with profiles such as front-end, back-end, full stack, and business, have worked in 12 multidisciplinary teams.

Talent Arena, the new epicentre of talent and networking in the technology sector

In addition to the success of the hackathon, Talent Arena has featured sessions by renowned experts such as Arduino co-founder, David Cuartielles; former vice president of engineering at Linkedin, Xavier Amatriain; Google software engineer, Carlos Villavieja; Institute of Artificial Intelligence co-founder, Miguel Ángel Román; Tinybird.com co-founder, Javi Santana; and Ruby on Rails core member, Xavier Noria.

The new digital talent space driven by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, in collaboration with GSMA, Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and CaixaBank as the main partner, has allowed participants to immerse themselves in the latest developments in the sector through various workshops and technological presentations that have offered a detailed vision of the emerging trends and future opportunities offered by the digital sector, as well as the latest disruptive projects from Barcelona’s leading technology companies.

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Barcelona, February 27^th 2024.– John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., and Francesc Fajula, CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, inaugurated this morning the new Talent Arena at MWC Barcelona. This initiative, carried out in collaboration with GSMA, Barcelona City Council, Generalitat de Catalunya and CaixaBank as main partner, marks a significant milestone in the positioning of Barcelona as a global epicentre for digital talent.

Talent Arena aims to position Barcelona as an international leader in the field of digital talent, offering a meeting point for professionals, corporations, institutions and training centres.

Professionals from the technology sector will have the opportunity to expand and share knowledge on key topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Data Science and Microchips. In addition, an Open Gateway hackathon will happen in the stand to explore the potential of APIs to strengthen Barcelona’s technology ecosystem and contribute to growth and innovation in the sector globally.

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