Connecting minds: a journey through Talent Arena 2025!

In this article, we share our experience at the Talent Arena event that took place in Barcelona at the Fira Montjuïc (Hall 8) from 3 to 5 March. Talent Arena is a leading European event dedicated to digital talent, driven by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) in collaboration with the GSMA, the Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. It was conceived as a space to enhance learning, networking, and professional growth for developers and technology experts, complementing the offerings of the Mobile World Congress.

In this edition, Talent Arena brought together more than 20,000 developers from 115 countries, with 53% being senior professionals from over 1,500 participating companies. This massive attendance has solidified the event as a key meeting point for the European digital sector. During those three days, participants were able to connect with technology companies, participate in hackathons and workshops, as well as draw inspiration from 223 sessions led by prominent figures in the digital field.

Worldline's participation in Talent Arena

Worldline, as a collaborating entity of Mobile World Capital Barcelona for the Talent segment, actively participated in this edition.

Worldline had an Infopoint alongside other companies at the Link Station on 3 and 5 March to attract talent, assisting those who came to learn about Worldline's capabilities, solutions, and projects. Below you can see the Infopoint and the wonderful Worldline team supporting the Infopoint and enjoying Talent Arena.

First day at Talent Arena

On the first day of the event, five developers from different profiles at Worldline based in Madrid travelled to Talent Arena via the Talent Express. This trip was facilitated by Mobile World Capital and iryo for developers based in Madrid who wanted to visit Talent Arena for a day. During the train journey, physicist and science communicator José Luis Crespo, creator of the podcast Quantum Fracture, gave a talk on quantum energy. If you want to know more about the Talent Express experience, read the following blog

On the first day, a representative from Worldline, Santi Ristol, had the honour to chat for a while with Garry Kasparov before his conference titled "Artificial Intelligence: Present and Future" which generated great anticipation and was a success with the audience. Below we see Santi, who is a chess enthusiast, excited to meet Garry Kasparov.

Second day at Talent Arena

On the second day of the event, five Worldline employees flew on the Digital Talent Flight of Vueling from Paris to Barcelona to attend Talent Arena for a day. The initiative organised by MWCapital and Vueling brought 180 international developers to Talent Arena, with most of them participating in the hackathon "We Speak Your Language" during the flight.

Here we see a photo of the Digital Talent Flight group and a photo of Worldliner Yassine Benabbas who got an autograph and a photo with Wozniak. 

The second day saw a successful turnout and in the photo below, we can also see some Worldliners who visited Talent Arena, including people from France, UK, Madrid, and Barcelona. Among them were Martin Javier Aranda (CEO of Worldline Iberia) and Maëlle Lafont de Sentenac (Group Head of Strategy and Global Alliances at Worldline).

This day Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, was the star guest of Talent Arena, delivering his lecture titled "The Future of Technology and Talent." Jose Mª López, representing Worldline, had the opportunity to chat with Steve Wozniak and even took a photo with him. 

Third day at Talent Arena

The third day at Talent Arena was when Worldline had its most notable participation. Below photo of the Worldline speakers.

Hyai Ippolito, UX&Design Deputy team manager at MeTS Worldline and Pilar García, Native Apps Technical Leader at MeTS Worldline delivered a presentation at the Futurist Stage titled "Demystifying Accessibility: Creating an APP Without Barriers." The goal of the talk was to merge aesthetic appeal with accessibility in the development of native applications, offering essential advice and strategies to create accessible and inclusive digital experiences for everyone.

This presentation dispelled common myths about accessibility and impacted the audience with a demonstration of how VoiceOver behaves in an inaccessible app and how an application should be designed to ensure usability for all individuals.

The paper concluded that in the current digital landscape, accessibility has ceased to be an option and has become a necessity. Users expect digital products to be inclusive and accessible for everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

The Futurist Stage was full, and the conference captured interest as the audience took photos of the content displayed on screen.

Following the lecture, Hyai and Pilar were interviewed at the Nexus Stage Live Streaming, enjoying great rapport with the interviewer and conveying the message that it is both possible and necessary to develop applications in ways that can be used by everyone.

Worldline also led a roundtable moderated by Santi Ristol, Director of the Digital Competence Center at Worldline, titled "The Power of Neurodiversity." This session highlighted the transformative power of neurodiversity within IT teams, emphasising how Worldline has successfully integrated neurodiverse individuals with the support of Specialisterne (a social organisation) dedicated to the employment inclusion of individuals with autism and other diagnoses within neurodiversity. The roundtable participants included Francesc Sistach, CEO of Specialisterne Global, Dolores Gómez, Workforce Manager at MeTS Worldline, who mentors Worldline employees with autism or neurodiversity, and Ángel Ávila, UX-UI Designer at MeTS Worldline, who provided testimony.

The debate centred on the strengths that neurodivergent individuals contribute to the workplace and how organisations can foster environments where everyone can thrive. Some key points:

1. Understand Neurodiversity: Different types of neurodiversity, such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, were explored, showcasing how these unique cognitive variations can drive innovation and creativity.
2. Empower Organisations: Francesc shared insights on how Specialisterne helps companies unleash the potential of neurodiverse talent by providing training, support, and fostering dialogue between businesses and neurodiverse individuals.
3. Worldline's Journey: Dolores explained Worldline's collaboration with Specialisterne to incorporate neurodiverse talent into our teams. This initiative has proven beneficial not just in terms of talent acquisition but also in enriching our workplace culture.
4. Ángel's Experience with ADHD: Ángel shared his personal experience with ADHD and how it influenced his work. His story highlighted the strengths of neurodivergence, such as creativity and problem-solving, while underscoring the importance of support and understanding from colleagues and superiors.
5. Global Impact: The success of the programme has led to international recognition within Worldline, driving both social and business innovation.

The Hot Spot Talk space, designed for 150 people, was too small, with part of the audience needing to stand. There was great interest from the audience, who asked several questions of the roundtable participants.

Event content

The programming of Talent Arena 2025 featured a diverse and intense agenda, combining inspiring lectures, expert debates, practical activities, and networking spaces. Below are some of the most relevant contents of the event:

Highlighted Talks and Panels:

• Steve Wozniak: "The Future of Technology and Talent." Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak delivered a keynote address sharing anecdotes and current challenges in technology. Wozniak emphasised the need to maintain an innovative spirit, the importance of the social responsibility of Big Tech, and how AI should enhance human creativity rather than replace it.

• Garry Kasparov: "Artificial Intelligence: Present and Future." World chess champion and AI expert Garry Kasparov explored the evolution of artificial intelligence from its inception to the present. He highlighted the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI, emphasising ethical development and collaboration between humans and machines as crucial to adapting to rapid technological advances.

• Panel on "European Technological Sovereignty": A panel of experts discussed Europe's technological autonomy, proposing strategies to foster local innovation and reduce dependence on foreign technologies. A call to invest in R&D and develop our own talent was made to strengthen Europe's competitiveness in the digital field.
• Cassie Kozyrkov: "The Generative AI Revolution." The former Chief Decision Scientist at Google shed light on the evolution of generative AI and its impact on the industry. She spoke about the importance of data and machine learning in business decision-making and advocated for democratising access to AI, encouraging developers to specialise in this promising field.
• Panel on "Challenges in Attracting and Retaining Digital Talent": HR executives and startup founders analysed the growing global competition for tech talent. Proposals such as career plans and continuous training, as well as the importance of flexible corporate cultures, were discussed to attract and retain qualified professionals. Contributions from educational institutions emphasised the need for alignment between academic training and industry demands
• Other notable sessions included talks on NewSpace by Lauren Lyons, the importance of open-source with Sarah Novotny, and critical cybersecurity issues debated by experts from Palo Alto Networks. Other topics covered included cloud computing and DevOps, providing the audience with a comprehensive view of current and future trends in the tech sector.

Conclusion: 10 key takeaways from Talent Arena 2025

In conclusion, we gathered 10 essential learnings that Talent Arena 2025 leaves behind, as takeaways for the industry and the tech community:

1. Barcelona as a Tech Hub: The gathering of Talent Arena solidified Barcelona as the European capital of digital talent by attracting over 20,000 professionals from the sector.
2. Importance of Digital Talent: Digital transformation relies on skilled professionals; there is a notable gap between the demand and supply of ICT talent.
3. Dominance of AI: Artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, is central to today's technological agenda, and its incorporation is essential for companies and professionals.
4. Emerging New Technologies: Quantum computing and the space industry (NewSpace) are poised to become the next axes of technological disruption, and it is crucial to anticipate and develop skills in these fields.
5. Cybersecurity is Essential: Cybersecurity must be a priority and integrated into technology design; investing in cybersecurity is vital to prevent future crises.
6. Prominence of Developers: The key role of developers in innovation was emphasised, encouraging companies to give more voice to their technical teams in strategic decisions.
7. Value of Open Collaboration: Initiatives like the GSMA Open Gateway hackathon demonstrated that collaboration among sector players accelerates innovation and addresses common challenges.
8. Continuous Training is Essential: Constantly updating knowledge is crucial in a rapidly evolving technological environment; companies should view training as an investment.
9. Diversity and Inclusion Matter: Diversity in the tech sector brings tangible value, demonstrating that diverse teams generate better results and creative solutions.
10. Future Commitment to Digital Talent: The theme of digital talent is a priority and must remain on the agenda; the future success of the sector depends on nurturing and retaining top professionals.

See you next year at Talent Arena!

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