Five things you should know about Mobile World Capital Barcelona

Barcelona has gradually gained a reputation as the main technological hub in southern Europe. Not only that, Barcelona is also the city with the third highest number of technology-based companies in the whole of Europe.

This progress is due to Barcelona’s commitment to providing a higher quality of life through technological transformation and making the city a gateway to a more sustainable and collaborative society and economy.

One body that driving this transformation is Mobile World Capital Barcelona, so today we are setting out our essential list of 5 things you should know about MWCapital.

1. More than just the Mobile World Congress

Mobile World Capital Barcelona hosts the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and 4 Years From Now [4YFN], the business platform for the startup community that is present at all MWC events worldwide.

Furthermore, MWCapital aims to drive forward the digital development of society and help improve people's lives in all respects.

With public and private support, MWCapital works in four areas: accelerating innovation through digital entrepreneurship; transforming industry through digital technology; growing digital talent among new generations and professionals; and reflecting on the impact of technology on our society. Together, these programs are positively transforming the economy, education and society.

2. MWCapital innovates

The Collider, Mobile World Capital Barcelona's innovation program, bridges the gap between science and the market by helping to create ground-breaking technology-based startups. To make this possible, the program fosters entrepreneurship in universities and uses the researcher-entrepreneur formula to create new high-value companies.

The program focuses on identifying and developing highly disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain, and virtual reality and ensuring that scientists are well-connected with business.

The Collider is a deep tech transfer initiative that seeks to create high-performance teams. It supports the market launch of technology with disruptive startups and encourages companies to launch pilots in the early stages and open new lines of competitive businesses.

3. MWCapital is 100% committed to technology

5G Barcelona is a public-private initiative, whose aim is to make Barcelona and Catalonia an innovative and open environment for the adoption and application of 5G technologies in real-life contexts.

The initiative is designed to foment synergies within the 5G ecosystem and provide an experimental infrastructure for testing, prototyping and implementing new digital solutions. 5G Barcelona aims to stimulate and consolidate existing innovation in Barcelona and Catalonia, help attract foreign investment, boost new technology companies, and generate a complete industry around 5G technology.

The initiative is driven by the Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, i2CAT, CTTC, Atos and UPC.

4. MWCapital foments digital talent

Barcelona Digital Talent aims to bridge the current digital talent gap in order to promote market competitiveness. With the aim of positioning Barcelona as a capital of talent, the program promotes the retraining of professionals in digital skills and aims to attract new professionals from Spain and around the world.

This alliance is driven by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Cercle Tecnològic de Catalunya, 22@Network, Barcelona Tech City, Foment del Treball Nacional, Barcelona Global, Ajuntament de Barcelona and the Generalitat de Catalunya.

5. MWCapital is tackling the digital emergency

Digital Future Society is an initiative promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and Mobile World Capital Barcelona and is aimed at improving the impact of technology and building a fairer and more inclusive future in the digital era.

To this end, it connects institutions, corporations, civic organizations, and academics to debate, share knowledge, create solutions to the challenges presented by digital progress, and bring them closer to citizens. Digital Future Society works in four key areas: public innovation; trust and digital security; equitable growth; and inclusion and citizen empowerment.