Digital Talent - Mobile World Capital

We connect talent with training centres and companies with the aim of reducing the digital divide.

What we do

MWCapital drives economic development by promoting the professional development of digital profiles, upskilling professionals within the ecosystem, and attracting and connecting talent with companies, with the aim of positioning Barcelona as a global capital of digital talent. This is made possible through a network of partners that brings together the key players in the digital ecosystem, companies, and training centres, all working under a common strategy to foster digital development, structured around three pillars:

Enhancing the technical skills of digital professionals in line with industry trends.

Attracting and retaining international digital professionals.

Creating spaces for connection between companies, training centres, and digital professionals.

How we do it

We drive Upskilling for professionals

We support digital professionals in identifying and developing new skills and technical trends that can enhance their capabilities and strengthen their professional careers.

We attract digital talent from other innovation hubs

We promote the attraction of digital talent so that professionals can develop their careers in the city of Barcelona.

We build community and knowledge

We build a community of organisations, professionals, and training centres to connect them and share knowledge.

Activities

Talent Arena

Talent Arena is the Mobile World Capital Barcelona community that connects digital talent with the technologies, companies and opportunities shaping the future. Its main meeting point takes place as part of MWC Barcelona, where professionals, developers, companies, technology communities and institutions share knowledge, experiences and new ways of driving innovation.

More than an event, Talent Arena is a space to learn, experiment and create valuable connections. Its programme combines conferences, practical workshops, hackathons, competitions, mentoring, technology experiences and networking spaces focused on areas such as artificial intelligence, software development, cybersecurity, cloud, digital leadership, robotics and gaming. It also extends its activities beyond MWC Barcelona through training initiatives and events throughout the year.

An open environment for collaboration that helps reduce the digital talent gap, connect organisations’ needs with qualified professionals, and strengthen Barcelona as an international hub for talent, technology and innovation.

Digital Talent Overview

The presentation of the Digital Talent Overview report is a flagship event organised by Mobile World Capital Barcelona that analyses the state and evolution of digital talent across Europe, Catalonia and Barcelona. The event presents the key findings of the report produced by the foundation, including a cross-sector analysis of the presence of digital professionals across different areas of the economy. The event combines trend presentations with inspiring talks on the future of work and technology, and concludes with a networking session to connect with professionals from the digital ecosystem.

Upskilling Week

Upskilling Week Barcelona is an initiative designed to promote the development and updating of digital and technological skills among professionals in the digital ecosystem.

Held twice a year over four days, Barcelona becomes a space for intensive training, hands-on learning and professional networking, where experts, companies and technology communities share practical knowledge about the technologies and disciplines transforming the labour market.

The initiative is aimed at experienced professionals who want to deepen their knowledge, discover innovative tools and stay up to date in a constantly evolving technological environment.

From building AI voice agents, complete SaaS solutions, full-stack applications and computer vision systems, to leading self-organising teams or tackling quantum cybersecurity crises, Upskilling Week offers learning paths designed for both technical professionals and business leaders who want to update their skills, experiment with new technologies and connect with Barcelona’s digital and innovation ecosystem.

Hackathons and Competitions

We promote hackathons and technology competitions as tools to accelerate innovation, identify talent and address real-world challenges faced by society and organisations.

Through these programmes, we connect companies, institutions, start-ups, educational centres, developers, designers and digital professionals to create innovative solutions in open collaboration and intensive learning environments.

Hackathons are collaborative innovation experiences in which multidisciplinary teams work within a limited timeframe to develop prototypes, products or solutions capable of addressing a specific challenge.

Beyond competition, they are spaces to experiment, learn, validate ideas and connect with other professionals and organisations within the digital ecosystem.

We work with companies, public administrations and organisations from different sectors to develop challenges related to digital transformation, sustainability, healthcare, mobility, education and emerging technologies.

Hackathons and competitions provide a platform to showcase talent, generate new professional opportunities and build connections with companies, investors and key players in the ecosystem.

Open innovation methodology
Talent development
Mentoring and connection with experts
Formats tailored to each challenge
Driving innovation and digital talent

Welcome IT & IT.nerary Day

Welcome IT & IT.nerary are initiatives designed to introduce international students to Barcelona’s digital and technology ecosystem, helping them gain insight into the sector and the professional opportunities available in the city.

Through a programme of activities, company visits, meetings with professionals and networking sessions, participants can discover first-hand how technology hubs, start-ups and international companies driving innovation in Barcelona operate.

The initiative is aimed at international university and vocational training students interested in developing their careers in the ICT sector, providing them with a practical overview of the labour market, the most in-demand skills and the different career opportunities available.

Beyond the visits, Welcome IT & IT.nerary creates a space for students, companies and professionals to connect, fostering direct engagement with the digital ecosystem and facilitating access to internship, employment and professional development opportunities.

Tech Hubs Forum

The Tech Hubs Forum is the meeting point for technology hubs based in Barcelona, created to foster collaboration between companies, share best practices and strengthen the city’s position as one of Europe’s leading technology hubs.

The forum regularly brings together technology centre leaders and/or operations directors to address the sector’s main shared challenges, create synergies and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Through discussion sessions, round tables, presentations and networking spaces, the forum promotes knowledge exchange on digital talent, organisational transformation, innovation, sustainability, artificial intelligence, leadership and the evolution of global hubs.

The Tech Hubs Forum helps consolidate a leading community that facilitates cooperation between organisations, promotes joint initiatives and strengthens Barcelona’s international appeal as a destination for talent and technology investment.

HR Exchange

HR Exchange is a knowledge-sharing community for human resources professionals in technology companies, created to share experiences, identify trends and collectively address the challenges associated with managing digital talent.

Through regular meetings, interactive sessions and discussion spaces, Talent, People, Recruitment and Employer Branding leaders can share best practices, success stories and strategies to attract, develop and retain professionals in a highly competitive market.

The initiative addresses topics such as international recruitment, employee experience, diversity and inclusion, leadership, wellbeing, new ways of working, continuous learning and the impact of artificial intelligence on the HR function.

HR Exchange provides a trusted space for professionals that fosters collaborative learning, networking and the development of joint initiatives to strengthen talent and the competitiveness of Barcelona’s technology ecosystem.