The theme of the 2022 edition of Mobile World Congress (MWC), which will be held from February 28 to March 3, is Connectivity Unleashed and numbered amongst the main focal points of the event will be the development of 5G mobile communications, Fintech, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Barcelona traditionally hosts the World Mobile Congress - one of the largest technology exhibitions in the world, in late February or early March. It is the most prominent event in the field of mobile networks, applications and technology in general. The Congress brings together the digital community in the beautiful Catalan city. Everybody doing business either in the technology or in an IT-related sub-segment is here, as a visitor or an exhibitor.
Sirma’s team will be presented by Momchill Zarev, Chief Commercial Officer and Mark Belane, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Sirma Solutions, starting intensive networking and participating in person in the leading technology and financial industry events in 2022.
Here at MWC, you can meet and greet all the big players - networking equipment manufacturers; smartphone and wearables producers; fintech companies; blockchain developers; manufacturers of drones, robots, connected cars, numerous mobile applications and platforms, mass media, and online services, in one location. You name them, and you’ll probably find them at the convention centre.
Over the years, the Congress has included world-renowned keynote speakers such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, Masayoshi Son, Steve Ballmer and many other managers held in esteem as the rock stars of technology.
The impact of the pandemic
The last two years have been difficult for this most prominent mobile show. MWC 2020 was cancelled at the last minute as the Covid-19 pandemic began shortly beforehand. Whilst 2021 saw the exhibition held, in the summer, instead of the traditional spring, with many of the forum’s presentations and events being online.
The hybrid format is returning back to being a fully physical event with presentations, discussions and meetings this year. Many of the big names in the technology industry are also returning to the Congress (however, some large companies still preferred to opt-out of this year’s edition). The GSMA World GSM Association organizers recently announced the highlights for the upcoming 2022 edition. This year the overarching message will be Connectivity Unleashed. And the main highlights of the forum will focus on fifth-generation mobile communications (5G), the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things and in particular, the vision of the Internet of Everything, cloud technologies and the fast-growing FinTech sector.
The new mobile standards have long reshaped payment methods, business, healthcare, our homes and our cities and the ways we learn and have fun - the World Mobile Congress program will reflect on the most critical aspects of these dynamic changes.
The conference program this year will include more than 1,000 speakers, while the exhibition halls, will host over 1,500 exhibitors and 37 national pavilions. Tens of thousands are expected to visit the forum live, and even more – are expected to watch the events online.
Start-up community
The start-up ecosystem will be strongly presented at this year’s 2022 Congress. There will be start-ups in virtually all showrooms, most as part of the 4YFN (4 Years From Now) co-event. It will present some of the hottest start-up projects in Europe and beyond. Panel discussions are also being organized on diversity and inclusion under the auspices of Diversity4Tech.
This year, iconic managers and visionaries from various fields will again appear on the stage of the technology forum. They will bring together many seemingly incompatible segments such as telecommunications, culture, payments and even football. Speakers will include AT&T CEO Ann Chow, Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipski, Jim McKelvey, co-founder and CEO of Block fintech formerly known as Square, Mats Greenreed, GSMA CEO Charles Stewart. CEO of Sotheby’s and even Juan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona. Expect other names to be added to this list.
Commitments to sustainable development
This year, MWC will mark seven years of certified carbon neutrality. The mobile industry was the first to commit to zero emissions by 2050, and the mobile Congress itself aims to once again be officially certified by AENOR International as a carbon-neutral event.
