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In March 2025, a team of talented students from IE School of Science and Technology traveled to Barcelona to attend Mobile World Congress (MWC) and the inaugural Talent Arena – a new developer-focused conference co-located with MWC. These students earned this opportunity by winning our School’s recent hackathon on multi–time series analysis, emerging first against 11 competing groups.

Over two days, the students celebrated their hackathon achievement, absorbed cutting-edge insights on AI and ethics, neurodiversity, and IBM’s quantum & AI strategy at Talent Arena, and saw amazing new tech at the MWC.

Triumph in Multi–Time Series Analysis Hackathon

The student team’s journey began on campus, where they clinched first place in the School of Science and Technology Hackathon. Their project tackled a complex multi–time series analysis problem, demonstrating advanced data analytics skills.

Exploring Mobile World Congress 2025: From AI Ethics to Quantum Computing

Attending MWC Barcelona 2025 was a somewhat overwhelming (due to the size) but valuable experience. MWC is the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event , where top industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers converge to showcase new technology and debate the future. Stepping into the vast expo halls filled with cutting-edge demos and big-name tech booths was awe-inspiring.

Crowds gather outside the Fira Gran Via venue for MWC Barcelona 2025, the premier global event for mobile and emerging technologies.

During the conference, our students were immersed in many hot technology topics. Three themes stood out in particular:

AI and Ethics

As artificial intelligence continues its rapid rise, MWC panels emphasized the importance of using it responsibly. In one session, experts noted that as AI becomes embedded in decision-making across industries, concerns over bias, fairness, and accountability are intensifying . From hiring algorithms that might unintentionally reinforce biases to facial recognition systems struggling with diversity, the students learned that ethical considerations in AI are front and center. MWC speakers discussed efforts to mitigate these issues – such as developing fairer algorithms, using synthetic data to reduce bias, and establishing regulatory frameworks for AI. This was eye-opening for our students, who have studied machine learning: it reinforced that technical skills must go hand-in-hand with an ethical mindset. They saw that the tech community is actively debating how to balance innovation with responsibility, a lesson that will stay with them as they progress in AI-related fields.

Neurodiversity and Inclusion

Another inspiring topic was the push for greater diversity in tech, especially embracing neurodiversity. The students attended a Diversity4Tech panel where industry leaders and neurodiversity advocates shared how inclusive workplaces can unlock new levels of innovation. Leading experts discussed creating work environments that accommodate different cognitive styles and abilities, and shared best practices for recruiting, onboarding, and supporting neurodiverse employees . The message was clear: by harnessing the unique strengths of individuals with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent profiles, companies can boost problem-solving and creativity. For our students – future tech professionals – hearing this was enlightening. It connected the social aspect of technology careers with their technical education. They left with a deeper understanding that tech is ultimately about people, and that diverse teams build better solutions. The emphasis on inclusion at a major event like MWC also showed them that the industry values and needs talent from all backgrounds, which was encouraging as they prepare to enter the workforce.

IBM’s Quantum Computing and AI Strategy

The presence of tech giants at MWC gave students a glimpse into big-picture tech strategies. IBM, for instance, showcased its latest advances in quantum computing and how they intertwine with AI. IBM’s approach is two-fold: the company is heavily investing in quantum hardware research – betting that quantum computing will become a foundational technology in coming years – and simultaneously evolving its AI strategy towards more specialized (rather than purely large-scale) AI models . At IBM’s booth and talks, the students saw demos of quantum-inspired solutions and heard about IBM’s roadmap. They learned that IBM’s researchers are tackling challenges like error correction and qubit stability in quantum systems, aiming for breakthroughs by the end of the decade . In AI, IBM representatives discussed focusing on domain-specific models that businesses can deploy, as opposed to only chasing ever-bigger general AI. This strategic insight was significant: it connected academic concepts (quantum physics and AI algorithms) to real industry direction. They realized that technologies they study in theory are actively being developed by companies to solve practical problems – for example, using quantum computing for enhanced data security or optimization. Seeing IBM’s vision helped our students appreciate how quantum computing and AI might converge in their future careers, and underscored the value of staying curious and adaptable as technology evolves.

Talent Arena

While MWC dazzled with its scale, Talent Arena 2025 provided a more focused environment for developers and students to engage with tech leaders. Talent Arena was a three-day talent and innovation fair – the first of its kind – dedicated to bridging the gap between industry and academia. It brought together software developers, top tech companies, and educational institutions into one dynamic space .

Attendees collaborate during a hackathon at Talent Arena 2025 – a new developers’ conference co-located with MWC, designed to foster learning and industry connections.

At Talent Arena, we joined a community of thousands of fellow tech enthusiasts. In fact, the first edition of Talent Arena welcomed 20,000 attendees from 115 different nationalities, including professionals from over 1,500 companies . This crowd created an atmosphere buzzing with ideas and opportunities. Over the course of the day, our students participated in workshops and observed live hackathons (now on a global stage rather than just on campus). They also attended some of the 220+ talks and tech demos led by expert speakers in the Fira Montjuïc halls . Topics ranged from artificial intelligence and cloud computing to cybersecurity and even quantum technology – mirroring many themes from the main MWC conference. It was clear that Talent Arena’s mission was to showcase emerging technologies while directly engaging the next generation of talent.

One of the biggest insights we gained was how closely linked academic learning and industry application can be. In one workshop, for example, they saw engineers from a leading company demonstrate a real-world multi-time series data platform – a practical tie-in to the very technique the students used in their hackathon project. In another session, university researchers and industry experts co-presented a case study on ethical AI deployment, reinforcing the ethical discussions from MWC in a concrete way. These experiences will have hopefully validated the students’ coursework and projects, showing that what they learn in class is highly relevant to current industry challenges. It also sparked new ideas: Talent Arena succeeded in connecting academia and industry for them – they networked not only with company representatives but also met other students and professors from different universities, exchanging knowledge and perspectives.

Congratulations once again to our students on their hackathon victory and for making the most of MWC Barcelona 2025. We encourage all our students to seize similar opportunities to learn and shine – whether it’s through hackathons, conferences, or other collaborative events. The connections between what you study today and where you might contribute tomorrow have never been stronger. Here’s to many more success stories born from the synergy of campus talent and the global tech arena!