Fira de Barcelona once again hosts the world’s largest technology fair, the Mobile World Congress (MWC), from March 2 to 5. The event expects to reach 110,000 attendees from 205 countries, generating an economic impact of 585 million euros. This year’s MWC is defined by the advancement of AI and the rise of the Defense sector. Despite a threatened boycott, Israel will be present with 39 companies, alongside Palestine, represented by the Palestine Information Technology Association of Companies (PITA)—an organization providing a platform for the tech community from the Gaza and West Bank territories, which are illegally occupied by Israel.
The geopolitical context—shaped by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the rearmament of NATO countries, and growing bellicosity in international diplomatic relations—has shifted the spotlight toward security concerns.
This scenario is further shaped by the runaway competition in the AI market between North American and Asian tech giants—a race moving faster than regulation and social development in much of the world.
Smart networks, digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, advancements in 5G standalone and 6G, AI, robotics, drones, and dual-use technologies are some of the key pillars of this year’s edition. Multinational firms like the cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks have designated 2026 as the “Year of the Defender.”
The Spanish company Indra has announced it will deploy an “advanced command center” for the new European defense at the Mobile World Congress. They will also present IndraMind, an AI ecosystem that integrates space, drones, command and control, and critical orbital communications.
More than 1,700 speakers will take to the 24 stages at MWC 2026 which, as a new feature, will debut six exclusive networking sessions to meet the speakers as part of its conference program.
The event will feature nearly 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners presenting their innovations at MWC26. Notable participants include Accenture, Adobe, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Cohere, Dell, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, EY, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Honor, Huawei, Intel, KPMG, KT, Liberty Global, Meta, Microsoft, NSCALE, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm, Samsung, SAP, Siemens, SKT, Snowflake, Telefónica, Toshiba, Viasat, Vodafone, Xiaomi, and ZTE.
