MWC 2026 will focus on AI ethics and the quantum industry
The event will be held between March 2nd and 5th, 2026 under the slogan 'The IQ Era'
BarcelonaA little more than usual, but the GSMA, the telecommunications trade association in charge of organizing the Mobile World Congress (MWC), has explained the first details of what the 2026 technology congress will be like, which will be held between March 2 and 5 at the Fira de Barcelona. The IQ EraAn event that will focus primarily on advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethics surrounding this technology, as well as robotics, connectivity, and the quantum industry.
In a press conference this Thursday morning, the association's director general, Vivek Badrinath, and CEO, John Hoffman, emphasized that "MWC in Barcelona is stronger than ever," and celebrated that, for the moment, no strikes are planned for those dates. "As we say every year, it's not so much the number of people who come that matters, but the quality of those who come; we expect a similar number of attendees to last year, between 100,000 and 110,000 participants, and about 20,000 more in the Talent Arena," Hoffman explained. Visitors from more than 200 countries are expected, and they confirm that virtually all the exhibition space has already been booked by companies.
MWC2026 will also be the first for the new GSMA Director General, Vivek Badrinath, a former Vodafone executive, who took over from Mats Granryd just a few months ago. Furthermore, 2026 will be the twentieth edition of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona; two decades of a congress that began as the mecca of mobile phones and has become the global showcase for advances in connectivity and new technologies. Among the most prominent speakers, the event will feature Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, and Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Engineering at Starlink.
But it is not without controversy. Israel has ordered a boycott of the congress in Barcelona, and the country will not participate, despite being one of the world's leading economies in technological advancements. When asked about it, Badrinath asserted that the GSMA is "a global association, and Israel is a hub "It's a very large technological enterprise; that said, we are very respectful of each country's rules and vision." "We welcome everyone from all over the world," Hoffman assured.
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"Connectivity is at the heart of everything we do, and Mobile World Congress is a showcase of this," Hoffman asserted. "AI is dominant today; we'll discuss the changes it brings and also focus the debate on the ethics surrounding this technology, and examine the role of AI in the industry." telecoms"," he explained.
Regarding new products, the GSMA asserts that, until Hall 0 of the Gran Via venue is finished, there is "a bit of a tight space," but among the main new features will be the New Frontiers zone in Hall 6, a new area dedicated to emerging connectivity technologies. With live demonstrations and real-world use cases, it will address topics such as quantum computing, physical AI, and satellite and non-terrestrial networks, with companies like Aalyria, Agibot, Equatys, Eutelsat, and Toshiba Quantum. Another major new feature Airports for the futureCircuitX, an immersive exhibition designed for attendees to explore how aviation and air travel are transforming, will feature interactive demonstrations with partners such as Airbus and Outsight. Airbus will showcase how advanced connectivity and data analytics are transforming aircraft operations and the passenger experience. Outsight, a space AI technology partner, will create a full-scale, moving digital twin of the area. Finally, in collaboration with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, managed by Fira de Barcelona, CircuitX will showcase the latest advancements in smart mobility and immersive experiences in the electric and smart vehicle sector.