The GSMA hosted a preview press conference for MWC Barcelona 2023, the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event. Keynote speakers include Extreme E’s Founder and CEO, Alejandro Agag; Maersk’s CEO Vincent Clerc; NEC Corporation’s President & CEO, Takayuki Morita; Vattenfall’s President and CEO, Anna Borg. Over 2,000 exhibitors and sponsors are expected at this year’s MWC Barcelona, at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, 27 February – 2 March 2023.

Taking to the stage at the press conference, hosts Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA; John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd and Lara Dewar, CMO, GSMA, provided a first look at some new additions to MWC Barcelona this year. One of these is “Journey to the Future”, our first immersive storytelling space that will offer attendees a unique, experiential, hands-on journey into the future of technology and connectivity solutions.

“MWC Barcelona has long been the place for the mobile industry to convene. This year, we are going beyond ‘Mobile’ providing an unmissable space to unleash tomorrow’s technology, today. From Maersk to Vattenfall, from Extreme E to NEC, we are on a journey to digital everything, and it will take boundary-pushing powerhouses from across all sectors to truly achieve it,” said Mats Granryd.

Thanks to GSMA’s collaboration with FC Barcelona, Sports Tomorrow Congress will this year be co-located at MWC Barcelona for the first time. It will create a space to identify and create new business opportunities across the mobile and sports ecosystems, in addition to providing a new way for businesses and stakeholders in the sports and technology ecosystem to convene, make deals and launch products.

The theme this year is ‘Velocity’; it will be woven across five key discussion and thought leadership tracks, 5G acceleration, Reality+, OpenNet, FinTech and Digital Everything.

“Along with our themes, we also want to ensure our content reflects the diversity of the world we live in, and we are delighted to share our latest confirmed speakers, including some of the biggest names in the connectivity industry and adjacent vertical industries, representing industries and markets around the world.,” said John Hoffman. “MWC is synonymous with Barcelona, and as ever, we are hugely grateful for the continued support of Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona and the Host City Parties, without whom, MWC would not be possible.”

Representing industries and markets around the world, business and thought leaders include some of the biggest names in the connectivity industry and adjacent vertical industries. Ethio Telecom’s CEO, Frehiwot Tamru; G-Cash’s President & CEO, Martha Sazon; Orange’s CEO, Christel Heydemann; Telefónica’s CEO and GSMA Chairman, José María Álvarez-Pallette and more will share their insights about topical issues impacting their sectors and how they are utilising mobile technology to tackle real-world concerns and opportunities.

As MWC widens its scope to engage the full suite of players who are central to the industry digitisation roadmap, Industry City will be returning, supported by our sponsors including Knowledge Partner, Accenture. The space will showcase innovative demos from across the FinTech, Manufacturing, and Smart Mobility industries.

Other returning popular programmes include 4YFN, MWC’s start-up-focused platform, where we shine a light on the brightest and most exciting start-ups in the digital space. 4YFN will showcase and connect start-ups, investors and companies to launch new business ventures together, and it is brought to MWC once more with our Platinum Sponsor, Banco Sabadell.

The GSMA Pavilion will host the Mobile World Live Broadcast Studio with live panel discussions broadcast on screens throughout the venue and online at mobileworldlive.com and mwcbarcelona.com. Also at the GSMA Pavilion, we’ll showcase the latest innovations in mobile with demos and immersive experiences such as a mobile IoT football challenge.

Diversity4Tech returns, demonstrating the advantages of our differences. And the MWC Ministerial Programme, the largest global gathering of policymakers who enable the digital economy, will convene ministers, heads of regulatory authorities and data protection authorities from countries around the world to meet with mobile industry CEOs and senior representatives of international organisations and share knowledge, and debate priority policy and regulatory issues.

MWC’s famed networking events return including Beat Barcelona, the official MWC and 4YFN official after-work ‘Place to B’ for networking and entertainment. Meet & Eat L’ Hospitalet has since 2014 shared a delicious look at the local Barcelona gastronomy and culture through the partnership between MWC and L’Hospitalet City Council.

The benefits of MWC extend beyond the value it brings to the global mobile and technology sectors during the event´s annual week. It is a vital creator of prospects and economic opportunities that benefit the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain. We expect the 2023 edition of MWC to generate nearly 350 million euros of economic benefit and 7,400 part-time jobs. Including MWC Barcelona 2023, we estimate that from 2006 to 2023 MWC will have generated €5.7 billion in economic impact and about 150,000 part-time jobs.

For eight years, MWC has been certified carbon neutral and recognized by the Guinness World Records as ´The World´s Largest Carbon Neutral Trade Show´.

The press conference will be available here to watch on demand. Find out more information in MWC’s Press Zone, and if you haven’t already, register for your place at MWC Barcelona today.