Mobile World Capital Barcelona has announced the launch of the first edition of Talent Arena, which will take place from 3 to 5 March 2025 in Exhibition Hall 8 of Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue. Talent Arena, a MWC Barcelona co-located event, will bring together developers, leading tech companies, and educational institutions to promote learning, networking, and professional growth in the digital field.

Over the course of three days, attendees will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in workshops, explore tech exhibition stands, and participate in hackathons. Additionally, Talent Arena will bring together over 200 expert speakers who will share their insights on the evolution of technology and innovation.

Talent Arena is a Mobile World Capital Barcelona initiative in collaboration with GSMA, Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration. The event is also supported by the private sector, including companies such as the CaixaBank Group (Main Partner), which will showcase technological innovation projects and address issues such as digital inclusion; Schneider Electric (Event Sponsor); and Eurofirms Group (HR Sponsor), highlighting the commitment of these companies to digital talent and continuous learning.

Barcelona, at the heart of digital talent

The event aims to reaffirm Barcelona as a global leader in the digital sector, acting as an international hub for the entire digital ecosystem. Talent Arena will be held alongside MWC Barcelona —the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event— and 4YFN, which focuses on promoting the start-up ecosystem.

Through this initiative, MWCapital aims to position Barcelona as a leading destination for generating and attracting digital talent, supported by a strong foundation of over 122,185 professionals in the ICT sector and more than 140 tech hubs. The event offers valuable networking opportunities with industry leaders, fostering collaboration and mentorship among attendees.

It also emphasises continuous learning and innovation, providing new participants with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in a constantly evolving technological landscape.

Talent Arena 2025: activities and themes for the present and the future

Talent Arena will address key topics such as artificial intelligence, software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and future technologies such as quantum computing and NewSpace. It will also explore topics related to sustainability and the management of digital talent in an increasingly demanding environment.

The 200 speakers will include ICT experts and technology company leaders including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; former world chess champion and AI advocate, Garry Kasparov; Google’s vice president of product, Xavier Amatriain; open-source expert and former Microsoft Azure Office employee Sarah Novotny; Meta’s AI lead, Cristian Canton, and former senior developer engineer at Space X, Blue Origin and Starlink, Lauren Lyon, in addition to tech influencers such as Nate Gentile and Dot CSV. Moreover, companies will present success stories and their experiences carrying out tech deployments, providing valuable lessons for developers, who can also explore training opportunities in their sector and learn about tools to help them succeed in recruitment processes.

One of the highlights of the event will be the GSMA Open Gateway hackathon, a global initiative designed to foster innovation in programmable networks through the use of APIs. It will offer participants the opportunity to develop innovative technological solutions in a collaborative environment. For the first time, Talent Arena will host the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon, GSMA-led sessions that focus on developers and aim to showcase the potential of network APIs and how they can revolutionise the development of digital experiences.

Talent Arena will also go beyond the conference venue thanks to an agreement between MWCapital and iryo, which will operate a high-speed train connecting Madrid and Barcelona, bringing together talent from both cities.