A total of 360 Catalan companies are taking part this year in 4YFN and the MWC, the world’s top technology event, which is being held next week at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. This figure represents an 8.1% increase compared to the 2023 edition, and is the highest since records began. Specifically, 69 Catalan companies, technology centres and organisations will have a stand at the MWC and 291 at 4YFN, which is celebrating its 10th edition this year.

The Minister for Business and Labour explained that “we want the MWC and 4YFN to be a barometer of the dynamism and growth of the business and start-up ecosystem in Catalonia”. In this regard, Torrent added that “the congress will serve to continue positioning Barcelona and Catalonia as a hub for attracting talent and technological and disruptive projects, as an international benchmark for the start-up ecosystem”. The Minister emphasised that “all the companies participating in the event in the Catalan Government’s spaces have a business project that is aligned with the country’s growth strategies”.

Supercomputing as never seen before, at the Catalonia stand at the MWC

Under the slogan “Catalonia: shaping the future with supercomputing”, the demonstration area of the Catalonia stand at the MWC will offer a unique, humanistic proposal that contrasts with the hyper-technological environment of the congress. The demo uses the metaphor of a grain of sand to explain the importance and transformative power of supercomputing in addressing major global challenges and building a more humanistic and sustainable society of the future.

The proposal aims to showcase Catalonia’s leadership as a technological hub and its commitment to becoming a global benchmark in the field of supercomputing, with the support of the Catalan Government, the expertise of Europe’s largest supercomputing centre, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and the power of the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer as a cornerstone.

The importance of the MWC for the Catalan business sector

Since the first edition of the MWC in Catalonia in 2006, the Catalan Government has facilitated the participation of 408 Catalan companies and technology centres in the event. As for 4YFN, 183 start-ups have participated in the congress and have presented their business projects since 2015.

This year, 45 corporations are taking part (25 of which are foreign), including Astrazeneca, ACCIONA, Fujitsu, LG, Rabobank, Samsung, Turkish Airlines and Volkswagen, among others, and they are presenting around 80 technological challenges. According to Catalan Government estimates, around 1,000 meetings between companies, start-ups and solution providers are expected to be held during the congress.