Accessible and useful technology for citizens, the purpose of Mobile Week Barcelona 2021

• A wide range of conferences, workshops and round tables in virtual format about Internet privacy and security, digital professional skills and the role of technology to face Covid-19 will fill Barcelona from March 15 to 21
• The weekend will be dedicated to children and families, who will be able to learn the uses, benefits and risks of technology in a dynamic and fun way
• Mobile Week Barcelona has kicked off today with an inaugural act in streaming to the urban innovation hub Ca l’Alier with a round table made up of six citizens, from three different generations, who have discussed the impact of technology on society

11 March, 2021

Barcelona, ​​March 11, 2021.- The fifth edition of Mobile Week Barcelona, ​​which will be held from March 15 to 21, responds to the need of citizens to have more tools and knowledge to use technology safely, responsible and thoughtful in the current social context after a year of pandemic. Mobile Week will be a digital meeting point to bring technology closer to the general public and will culminate with Family Day, a weekend of workshops and conferences designed especially for children and families.

Mobile Week Barcelona has kicked off today with an opening streaming event at the Ca l’Alier urban innovation hub with a round table made up of six Barcelona citizens, from three different generations, who have debated the impact of technology on society. Likewise, Michael Donaldson, Commissioner for Digital Innovation, Electronic Administration and Good Governance of the Barcelona City Council; and Carlos Grau, CEO of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, have also participated at the round table.

The initiative promoted by Mobile World Capital Barcelona and the Barcelona City Council will allow citizens to reflect and debate, but also to experience the impact that the use of technology has in their day-to-day life and in the digital future. The CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, ​​Carlos Grau, highlighted the good work done during the five editions in Barcelona: “The evolution of Mobile Week in Barcelona is a great example of how the digital world, in just five years, has become be a part of our daily life. The first Mobile Week was a brave bet that allowed us to look to the future. Instead, this year we want citizens to be the protagonists and to learn, interact and fully develop the concepts and tools that they have discovered the last year”. For his part, the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Labor, Competitiveness and Finance, Jaume Collboni, highlighted that “Mobile Week is a clear example of Barcelona’s digital capital. We are the digital epicenter of southern Europe and we have the firm commitment to generating opportunities for all citizens, especially at a time when the pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology”. Collboni has highlighted that the objective of Mobile Week “is to democratize the opportunities that derive from the digital revolution, extending to all citizens the debate on the new uses of technology, which are transforming our lives”. For his part, the Commissioner for Digital Innovation, Electronic Administration and Good Governance of the Barcelona City Council, Michael Donaldson, who has participated in the opening ceremony this afternoon, stressed that ” the pandemic has evidenced the strong impact of digitization in all vital aspects, at the time is key to have spaces where we can raise awareness about the potential that technology has in our lives but also about the limitations or effects that it entails”.

Mobile Week is a clear example of the Barcelona digital capital. We are the digital epicenter of southern Europe and we are firmly committed to generating opportunities for all citizens, especially at a time when the pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology. The objective of Mobile Week is to democratize the opportunities that derive from the digital revolution, extending to all citizens the debate on the new uses of technology, which are transforming our lives.

Do we know how to use the Internet safely? What will be the most in-demand digital skills for the future? How has the pandemic affected our use of technology? These are some of the questions that Mobile Week Barcelona 2021 will address. With the slogan “Technology for citizenship”, this fifth edition aims for citizens to be the protagonists of the event and to be active actors in the digital transformation of society.

More digital and participatory format

According to current health recommendations, Mobile Week Barcelona is adapted and transformed into a completely digital edition, becoming a virtual space for online content with an open, public platform with free access, from where all content will be disseminated. With this new approach, Mobile Week is no longer just an annual event and becomes a generator of quality content throughout the year.

Throughout the week, three topics that have acquired special relevance in recent times will be dealt with from different perspectives: privacy and security on the Internet, professional digital skills and the role of technology in dealing with Covid-19. The program has a wide range of activities ranging from conferences and workshops to interviews and round tables.

Experts from various fields will speak at the conferences, such as Silvia Barrera, Inspector of the Cybersecurity Police and Minors of the National Police Corps; Jordi Arrufí, director of the Barcelona Digital Talent Program; Mónica García, General Manager at the Sitges Festival; Laura Gil, Director of Digital Transformation at Estrella Damm; Daniel Fletcher, Director of Innovation and Corporate Development at Primavera Sound; Mariona Vicens, Corporate Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation at CaixaBank; o Fernando de la Rosa, Director of Business Development and Co-founder of Foxize. Likewise, Mobile Week has the collaboration of specialized entities in different fields that converge around technology, an example of this is the activity with the Hospital de la Vall d’Hebron on health matters or the educational project Learn to check for verification of disinformation and digital content.

March 20-21 will be the weekend that Mobile Week Barcelona culminates with Family Day online, two days dedicated to families with the aim of learning through entertainment. A day with a special program in which children and their families can train through technology in a dynamic and fun way: the young youtuber Miquel Montoro, plastic and visual experiences, or robotics workshops, are some of the activities that make up Family Day.