The admission to the exhibition is free, and it will be open to visitors from 12 June to 27 September at Palau Robert
[In]visible Technology is an initiative promoted by MWCapital and the Generalitat de Catalunya to illustrate the paradigm shift that MWC has accompanied and catalysed over the past 20 years
Throughout the more than three months during which the exhibition will run, a programme of public activities will be held, including panel discussions, talks and family workshops
The opening ceremony was attended by Carles Escolà, Secretary for Media and Dissemination; Laia Corbella, Managing Director of MWCapital; Genís Roca, curator of the exhibition; John Hoffman, GSMA Ltd.’s CEO; and Alicia Romero, Minister for Economy and Finance of the Government of Catalonia
12/June/2026
Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) and the Government of Catalonia this morning inaugurated the exhibition Invisible Technology, which invites visitors to rethink technology through three distinct spaces, tracing how digitalisation has transformed every sphere of society over the past two decades. The exhibition also showcases the legacy generated by MWC Barcelona, which has played a decisive role in establishing Barcelona and Catalonia as an international technology hub and a meeting point where the digital future is shaped.
Visitors will be able to travel back twenty years to understand how we arrived at the present day, discover examples of pioneering technological innovation across a range of sectors, and explore different perspectives on the challenges and ethical debates raised by technology. They will also have the opportunity to reflect on and contribute their own vision for the future.
The Invisible Technology programme is complemented by a series of public events taking place at Palau Robert throughout the exhibition. These include panel discussions, expert talks and family workshops exploring the relationship between technology and society.
During the opening ceremony, Alicia Romero, Minister for Economy and Finance of the Government of Catalonia, highlighted the significance of the project: “Twenty years ago, we dreamed of bringing MWC to Barcelona, and today it is a reality that has enabled us to create a lasting legacy and a thriving ecosystem in our country, encompassing universities, research centres, knowledge and economic development — all with the aim of improving people’s quality of life.” The Minister also emphasised the importance of an exhibition that looks beyond the past: “Technology provides solutions to many of the challenges we face as a society.”
MWCapital Managing Director Laia Corbella recalled that “MWCapital’s purpose is to transform the impact of MWC into a legacy that endures beyond the days of the congress. This exhibition provides an opportunity to share that legacy with the public,” she explained. “Twenty years ago, we observed technology from the outside. Today, we live it. It is a paradigm shift that we have helped explain to the world from Barcelona.”
GSMA Ltd.’s CEO, John Hoffman, stated, “Over the past two decades, connectivity has changed how we live, work and interact with each other; it powers our economies and connects societies. MWC Barcelona has been on the frontline of that transformation, helping to transform Barcelona so that today it’s one of the world’s most vibrant and innovative technology centres.”
For his part, Carles Escolà, Secretary for Media and Public Communications of the Government of Catalonia, underlined that this is the third exhibition jointly promoted by the Government and MWCapital to “share the Congress’s legacy with the public”, adding that initiatives of this kind are “essential”: “They provide an opportunity to understand how technology has transformed society, while also encouraging reflection on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
“Invisible Technology is a journey through time, and journeys through time only make sense if they look towards the future,” summarised the exhibition’s curator, Genís Roca. “Today, technology is the infrastructure that drives the world, and we must decide the direction it takes. The future will be written collectively, and this exhibition is a call to take part in that conversation,” he concluded.
A disconnected world
The first section of the exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the world before mobile connectivity to the moment everything became connected. Through four exhibits, it recalls what life was like in the early 2000s.
This transformation is explored from the earliest analogue systems to the emergence of GSM, the global standard that connected the world, showing how mobile technology evolved from a limited innovation into a universal tool.
Connectivity transforms entire sectors
The exhibition presents real-world examples of how cloud technologies, connectivity and data are transforming entire sectors through projects developed by MWCapital and its partners, alongside other significant examples from today’s technology ecosystem. Visitors will discover applications such as connected driving, intelligent banking and smart crop monitoring.
The exhibition also highlights innovations in healthcare and personal care, including robot-assisted rehabilitation, digital twins for personalised medicine and assistive robots for older people. Other examples focus on new digital experiences, such as real-time universal translation and live immersive experiences.
Each case study presents not only the opportunities and improvements made possible by technology, but also the challenges it raises, including issues relating to privacy and data governance.
A critical perspective on the world’s digital future
The final section of the exhibition takes the form of a digital agora featuring real-life testimonies representing different viewpoints, offering reflections on the social, cultural and ethical impact of technology.
The exhibition concludes with an interactive installation inviting visitors to share an idea, intuition or reflection about the future.
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