MWCapital and Vueling launch “We Speak Your Language”, a challenge that connects digital talent from Paris to Talent Arena at Barcelona 

• The challenge aims to create a simultaneous translation solution that allows passengers and crew to communicate during flights without an internet connection. 

• Students from EPITECH, the leading technology university in Paris, will participate in the challenge. 

• The best proposals will be presented aboard the Digital Talent Flight, which will carry over 150 international developers from Paris to Talent Arena in Barcelona. 

• This initiative is part of the collaboration between Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Vueling to attract digital talent to Barcelona. 

03/February/2025

Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Vueling launch “We Speak Your Language,” a challenge aimed at digital developers in France to create an innovative solution that facilitates communication between passengers and cabin crew during flights, eliminating language barriers. The main objective is to ensure that everyone can speak and understand each other in their own language, with the added challenge of making the system work offline. 

To find the best proposal, a hackathon will be organised, involving students from EPITECH (École pour l’informatique et les nouvelles technologies), the prestigious technology university in Paris. This hackathon will start in Paris and end at Talent Arena, the leading European event dedicated to digital talent, which will take place in Barcelona. 

Participants will have two weeks to develop a real-time voice translation system using technologies such as Small Language Models (Small LLM), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Internet of Things (IoT), Speech-to-Text (STT), or Text-to-Speech (TTS). This system must enable personalised announcements in passengers’ languages and facilitate conversations with the crew. Additionally, it must meet the specific requirements and limitations of aircraft operations. The ultimate goal is to optimise the travel experience for Vueling’s customers. 

A flight to Talent Arena and an implementation opportunity with Vueling 

After the proposals are presented, five finalist teams will be selected to join the Digital Talent Flight, a special flight departing Paris on March 4^th . Over 150 international developers will be on board, heading to Barcelona to participate in Talent Arena. 

During the flight, the five finalist proposals will be presented and voted on by experts among the passengers. The winning proposal will have the opportunity to explore the real-world application of their solution with Vueling’s team. In addition, activities will take place throughout the journey to promote networking and experience sharing among the participants. 

Once in Barcelona, passengers on the Digital Talent Flight will be able to attend workshops, demonstrations, and conferences at Talent Arena, the leading European event dedicated to digital talent. Over three days, this new congress, organised by MWCapital alongside MWC Barcelona 2025, will bring together digital professionals, leading technology companies, and educational institutions to create a hub for learning, networking, and professional growth. 

A unique opportunity to learn, showcase skills, network, and explore future opportunities, plus attend talks by over 200 experts, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, chess master and AI expert Garry Kasparov, Google’s first Chief Scientist Cassie Kozyrkov, Meta’s AI lead Cristian Canton, and former Microsoft Open Source director Sarah Novotny. 

Barcelona MWCapital and Vueling: an alliance to attract talent to Barcelona 

The hackathon and the Digital Talent Flight are part of the collaboration between Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Vueling. This partnership aims to attract and generate professional profiles to fill the growing demand for tech jobs in Barcelona and strengthen its connections with the rest of Europe. 

 “Through this initiative, we connect two leading tech hubs in Europe and reach out to tech developers, who are currently the most in-demand digital professionals, offering a high-value experience for both junior and senior profiles,” explains Jordi Arrufí, Corporate Development Director and Digital Talent Lead at Mobile World Capital Barcelona. 

 “At Vueling, we bet on technology as a driver of continuous improvement in the experience of our customers, and thanks to the shared commitment with Mobile World Capital Barcelona, we continue to strengthen the city as a leading tech hub in Europe. With the ‘We Speak Your Language’ challenge, within Talent Arena, we are not only attracting international talent, but also fostering the creation of innovative solutions that will shape the future of aviation,” comments Javier Álvarez, Innovation and Technology Director at Vueling.